


A Forever Home

by kimjibyung



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Dog Hybrid Park Chanyeol, Hybrids, Love, M/M, Multi, Polyamory, cat hybrid do kyungsoo, human suho, rabbit hybrid byun baekhyun, wolf hybrid kris wu
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-29
Updated: 2020-03-25
Packaged: 2021-02-27 03:20:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 16
Words: 68,097
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22470211
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kimjibyung/pseuds/kimjibyung
Summary: Kim Junmyeon and his dog hybrid, Chanyeol, are out doing their weekly shopping when they come across whimpering in one of the nearby alleyways on the way back to their apartment. It turns out to belong to young and abandoned hybrids. Both are starving and cold. A wolf hybrid named Kris had taken the two under his wing several years before, and was trying his best to take care of both, but due to the laws and rules against hybrids, there was only so much he could do.Junmyeon can’t stop himself from offering them a home, a place to stay, and a means of earning the wolf hybrid’s trust.
Relationships: Kim Junmyeon | Suho/Park Chanyeol, Kim Junmyeon | Suho/Park Chanyeol/Wu Yi Fan | Kris, Kim Junmyeon | Suho/Wu Yi Fan | Kris
Comments: 78
Kudos: 185





	1. Part 1

**Author's Note:**

> A Krisho + Chanyeol fic

The snoring in his ear was a normal thing that happened every morning when Junmyeon woke up. It had been like that for the last three years since he got Chanyeol, his dog hybrid. While it had been annoying in the beginning, he found that on some nights when Chanyeol actually slept in his room, he missed the snoring and found it hard to fall asleep without that noise in his ear. 

The curly brown haired hybrid had wrapped his arms and legs around Junmyeon, like always, when he slept. Junmyeon slept on his side and that left Chanyeol on his side, pressed up against Junmyeon’s backside, with his arms and legs holding onto the man, like he was a giant body pillow for the dog. The floppy ears twitched every so often as that mouth stayed wide open with each snore, a slight dribble of drool escaping the corner of the dog’s mouth. 

Junmyeon glanced over at his clock with sleep-filled eyes, groaning softly when he saw that it was almost ten o’clock that morning. It was Saturday. The first day of the weekend, and he was free. Today was the day that he got to sleep in, despite it being only two hours of sleeping in, and it was the day that he got caught up on the things around the house. 

Chanyeol helped out where he could, the dog hybrid could cook, thankfully, but the other small things, Junmyeon took care of those. Like laundry, dishes that needed to be washed, vacuuming, and grocery shopping. Junmyeon always left enough money throughout the week for Chanyeol to use for delivery when he was hungry, but due to the laws, a hybrid wasn’t allowed outside of a residence without a leash or their master with them. 

  
The laws had been passed years before Junmyeon was born, his parents even had their own hybrids, they were treated just like any other animal, the only difference was the hybrids could talk back, if permitted to by owners. Junmyeon never cared for traditional methods of training a hybrid, he just saw another individual. But in order to not get into trouble or get Chanyeol into trouble, there were some laws that Junmyeon had to obey. 

  
Truth be told, Chanyeol didn’t belong to Junmyeon in the first place. His neighbor in the apartment beside him had Chanyeol. But the owner was so mean and horrible to Chanyeol that it hurt Junmyeon’s heart every time to see the poor hybrid left out on the porch on cold nights, tied to the porch, and sometimes even left without food. And then sometimes the noises and cries that he heard of Chanyeol’s through the walls of the apartment made him worry for the poor soul. 

Then one night, after his neighbor came home drunk, kicked at Chanyeol’s curled up body on the porch before going inside, Junmyeon decided that enough was enough. He slipped out of his apartment door, walked over to Chanyeol’s whimpering form, untied his leash, and led the dog hybrid into his apartment. There, he treated the wounds that Chanyeol had sustained, tended to his tears, gave him a warm meal, and offered him a warm bed to sleep in that night. 

The next morning, Junmyeon was out the door before Chanyeol woke up, off to his job that had him at work by seven that morning and didn’t return home until three that evening. He taught kindergarten students at the local school. He didn’t expect to still see Chanyeol when he got home, but the dog hybrid was there, in his living room, curled up on the couch, munching on a pop-tart and watching cartoons on the TV. 

On the way into his apartment, his neighbor stopped him, asked about Chanyeol, and in so many words, told Junmyeon to take care of the good-for-nothing mutt. Supposedly Chanyeol was the man’s ex-girlfriend’s hybrid and she left him when she left his neighbor. 

And that’s how they ended up where they were today, so many years later. 

  
“Chanyeol? Time to get up,” Junmyeon mumbled, turning over in the cage of limbs to shake at the dog. “We have to go grocery shopping today after I get the laundry started.” He shook the dog again when the snoring didn’t stop, “Come on, lazy bones.”

Chanyeol groaned, releasing Junmyeon from his hold and turning over on his side with a yawn, “I don’t wanna go out today.” 

Junmyeon laughed softly, shaking Chanyeol’s shoulder, “Don’t you want to by the marketplace again? You wanted some more hotteok from the street vendor.” He grinned when Chanyeol shot up, eyes wide and excited now. Fully awake. “I thought so. I’ll get you some of that if you go ahead and get started on breakfast. I have to sort through the colors and whites for the wash today.” 

Chanyeol nodded happily, throwing the blanket off, and reaching down to the floor for his hoodie that he discarded last night. He was out of the room as he put it on. Junmyeon got up from his side and started making the bed, afterwards, he went to the bathroom and the corners of the room to collect the dirty clothes that he and Chanyeol had discarded here and there throughout the week. Once he’d got them all, he headed to the washroom to throw in the colored clothes first, adding the right amount of soap, and started the washing machine. 

By the time he’d finished and made his way into the kitchen, Chanyeol was already plating a simple breakfast of scrambled eggs and bacon. Junmyeon walked over to the coffee pot and made himself a cup of coffee, then went to the fridge to pull out of Chanyeol’s juices. The hybrid didn’t care for the bitterness of coffee after all. 

He dropped a kiss to the top of Chanyeol’s head before seating himself across the table from the hybrid, handing the juice to him, and began eating the breakfast. 

“Can I get a bunch of hotteok, hyung?” Chanyeol asked, taking a sip of his juice before shoveling more eggs into his mouth. “I want some for tomorrow too.” 

Junmyeon nodded, “I don’t see why not. It’s supposed to be really cold tomorrow anyway, I heard there was a blizzard on the way later this week. Work will probably be canceled if it’s too bad.” 

Chanyeol grinned, “So we can stay in bed when that happens?” Then he paused, eyes widening, “Do you think the power will go out again if it does freeze over?”

“Let’s hope it doesn’t. I don’t want to go to the bathroom and come back with icicles hanging off of me, but if it does, yeah, we can stay in bed all day then.”

  
After they finished breakfast and Junmyeon threw the colored clothes in the dryer and started a load of the whites, the two set out with their small cart to the marketplace. Junmyeon needed to get some groceries for that week and some small lunches for work and Chanyeol was just enjoying the nice walk outside. The two were familiar faces throughout the marketplace, having shopped there countless weekends since Junmyeon moved into the apartment. And the elderly ladies always loved pampering or spoiling Chanyeol anytime they saw him.

He wanted the hotteok, but ended up with different samples and free candies from the elderly ladies of almost every stand they stopped at. Each one giving him an ear-rub that he ate up before they moved onto another shop. 

“You’re so greedy when it comes to an ear-rub,” Junmyeon chuckled as they left one of the stands. It was the last stop, the cart nearly full, and they were about to head back to the apartment. The cold breeze had both of them clutching tighter to their coats. 

Chanyeol grinned, munching happily at the hotteok, basking in the warmth from it with his hands, “They’re my favorites, and the adjummas know just where to scratch me at.” 

Junmyeon teased, “Is that really it or is it because you enjoy getting so much candy by kissing up to them? They treat you like their own child.” 

The hybrid shrugged, “They seem more like my grandmas, honestly.”

“They do,” Junmyeon smiled. 

As they turned down one of the streets on the way to their apartment, the wind started picking up. A colder breeze that had Junmyeon and Chanyeol walking a little faster to get back and inside the comfort and warmth of their home. The clouds overhead weren’t dark enough that it would start raining yet, but Junmyeon knew by nightfall, it would be raining, and possibly even snowing. He shivered at the thought of it, glad that he’d be back in bed, under blankets by then.

Although as they passed by one of the alleyways, Chanyeol’s ears twitched and his nose picked a scent. Junmyeon stopped, the cart’s wheels weren’t making any noise now, the only thing that he heard was the sound of the wind… and a small whimpering sound? He looked towards the alleyway, the same direction that Chanyeol had turned towards, the other half of the hotteok halfway up to his lips stopped in its tracks. 

It sounded like a soft whimpering, something that might belong to a child. Inside the alleyway, there was a large garbage bin, and several pieces of trash here and there and some cardboard boxes, all of different sizes. Chanyeol’s nose sniffed at the air, his steps moving closer to the entrance of the alleyway. His ears twitched again where they usually lay floppily against his curly hair. 

“Chanyeol, what is it?” Junmyeon questioned, following after Chanyeol, leaving the cart on the sidewalk as they walked slowly further into the alleyway. 

“It’s a child… a young hybrid,” Chanyeol muttered, sniffing the air again, “A cat or rabbit… I can’t tell, it’s a mixture of both.” 

They edged closer to the large garbage bin and when they reached around, there was a large cardboard box in the corner, leaned up against the garbage bin and the brick wall, a thin raggedy blanket was covered the front where it looked like a makeshift entrance. That’s where Chanyeol heard the whimpering coming from, a lot louder the closer they got. 

Chanyeol handed his hotteok to Junmyeon, “Let me check it out, I don’t want anything hurting you, if the cat or rabbit try attacking. It’s a young hybrid… might not be trained.” To which, Junmyeon nodded, watching cautiously as Chanyeol stepped up, and moved to pull back the raggedy blanket. The touch of the blanket alone making Chanyeol want to recoil because it felt old, dirty, and disgusting, but when he pushed it out of the way, his eyes widened. 

Junmyeon’s gasp was lost to him as they took in the sight of the crying children inside. There were two hybrids, one was a rabbit with large, light brown ears that matched his hair color, and the other was a cat with large eyes and black ears. Their whimpering quietened in fear at the sight of the two finding them, unsure if Chanyeol or Junmyeon were going to harm them. 

“Hey, it’s okay,” Chanyeol held up his hands, hoping they knew that he was harmless. By the looks of the two, they were freezing, clutching to one another for warmth and right now, out of fear. But the clothes they had on looked old and dirty, neither one had shoes on. 

“Do you think someone just abandoned them?” Junmyeon questioned, eyebrows furrowed in concern. “Why couldn’t they just take them to the hybrid shelter? Anything would be better than just leaving them outside in the-” he stopped at the deep growl that filled the alleyway. 

Turning to the other entrance of the alleyway was a tall figure, ears raised on its head, and a snarling that made Junmyeon back up, clutching to Chanyeol. But Chanyeol never took lightly to anything or anyone that wanted to harm Junmyeon, a growl of his own rumbling through his chest. It didn’t sound as threatening as this hybrid’s, but Chanyeol could hold his own. 

The figure moved closer, the two younger hybrids in the cardboard box moved to the opening, and upon the sight of the other hybrid, they quickly ran to his side. Junmyeon wondered if the hybrid was one of the younger hybrid’s father… or both. But when he got a clearer sight of the hybrid, he realized that this was a wolf hybrid. Not a cat or rabbit. Maybe the wolf had found the two? Maybe they were all three abandoned? Or maybe-

The growling stopped for a moment, a snarled question left the hybrid, deep, much like Chanyeol’s voice, “What were you trying to do to them?” 

Chanyeol’s teeth bared, eyes still zeroed in on the wolf, “We weren’t going to harm them. It’s freezing out here, they shouldn’t be out in this cold.” 

“Yeah? Well this is all we got so beat it,” the wolf growled, his hands clutching onto the two younger as they both held onto either side of his legs. They didn’t even come up to his waist, still very young. 

Junmyeon’s heart lurched at that, motioning towards the cardboard box, “This is all you have? There’s going to be a blizzard soon, you can’t stay out here in the cold like this. You three will end up freezing to death!”

The wolf scoffed, “I can’t do any better thanks to you stupid humans and your damn laws. We made it last winter, we’ll make it this winter.” 

Junmyeon clutched at Chanyeol’s arm, “We can’t let them stay out here… I wouldn’t be able to sleep tonight if I knew those two babies were out here in this cold.” He turned back to the wolf, knowing that with the hybrid’s hearing, he heard what Junmyeon said, “You can’t stay out here like this, at least come to my apartment for tonight. It’s two bedrooms, you three can sleep in Chanyeol’s room, lock the door the whole time, I don’t care, at least you’ll be warm then. We had plenty of food too.” 

As if on cue to the mention of food, Chanyeol heard two little bellies growl. The two younger hybrids looked up at the older one, a plea in their eyes as they shivered against the cold. Junmyeon was already shedding off his coat to offer up to one of them, Chanyeol following suit. With careful and cautious steps, the two younger hybrids made their way over to the two, quickly accepting the warmed coats. The coats basically swallowed both of them up but it would help with how many holes that Junmyeon lost track of with their shirts and pants. 

The taller hybrid’s eyes were still harsh and narrowed at Junmyeon, his gaze flickering between him and Chanyeol before settling on the two younger hybrids, “You better not try anything stupid. Those two are my life and if you try to take them from me, I’ll kill both of you.” 

Junmyeon raised his hands in surrender, but Chanyeol growled back at the threat, he wasn’t going to let anything happen to his master. The two stared at each other hard for another moment until another breeze came through and the wolf hybrid shivered involuntarily. Junmyeon finally noticed the wolf’s attire. It was a thin long-sleeve shirt with a few holes here and there, and the pants didn’t look like they held much warmth to them. He was freezing too. 

“Come on, let’s get to the apartment and get you three some warm food,” he started to lead the way, Chanyeol staying between him and the wolf hybrid, the two younger ones staying in step with the wolf. 

On the way back to the apartment, Chanyeol took back his hotteok from Junmyeon, taking the last half and breaking it into two to hand to the two younger hybrids. They quickly devoured it as Chanyeol tried to find any other warm snacks on the cart to give them before reaching the apartment. 

\--

As soon as Junmyeon got the front door unlocked and open, he pulled in the cart, Chanyeol following suit, and then the three new hybrids hesitantly stepped inside. The wolf quickly closed the front door as the cold air tried to enter, unable to stop himself from sighing as the heat that was inside the house had him already thanking whatever gods were listening for the owner of this residence. His hands might have a chance to thaw out now. 

“Chanyeol, don’t you have some spare clothes you can let him borrow? Something warmer?” Junmyeon asked as he started setting the groceries that they bought out on the table to sort them into their respectable places. 

Chanyeol hesitated at the idea of leaving Junmyeon in the room with the wolf, even for a moment, “I do…” he turned to the wolf, “Follow me, I can show you where you three can stay tonight too.” 

“Good idea,” Junmyeon put the last bit of groceries on the table then moved to the stove, “I’ll make some tea for us, and would you two like some hot cocoa?” He looked at the two younger hybrids, both were cuddled up together on the couch still basking in the warmth of Junmyeon and Chanyeol’s coat, “I’ve got marshmallows.” The two perked up at the mention of hot cocoa. 

The wolf didn’t want to leave the room, and he could tell that the dog hybrid didn’t trust him with his master, that’s why he offered for the wolf to follow him. He could see the bond between the two, plain as day, but he silently followed after the dog into the second bedroom. 

The room looked like a child’s bedroom, basketball posters everywhere, lots of plushies on the full sized bed, and the oddest thing was the Zootopia bedset. 

Chanyeol moved over to the one of the chest of drawers and started rummaging through the drawers to find something for him to wear, Chanyeol noticed that the wolf didn’t seem as hostile now. He wondered if it had anything to do with Junmyeon, which he couldn’t understand why, because Junmyeon was the softest human he’d ever encountered. 

“I know you are probably sketchy about us, but I promise you that we won’t do you or the two little ones any harm,” Chanyeol finally stated, pulling out a t-shirt and a pair of pants. He fished out one of his older hoodies that he didn’t wear anymore and gave to the wolf. “I’m Chanyeol, and my owner’s name is Junmyeon.” 

That answer made the wolf’s lip curl back in a snarl, but no sound came from him, “So you’re an owned hybrid, how long until he throws you to the side? Do you warm his bed at night too?” 

That question confused Chanyeol, he wasn’t sure of what to make of it. He did sleep with Junmyeon at night, it was normal for them… and Chanyeol did put off a lot of heat naturally. One of the things about being a dog hybrid. He was a very warm individual. 

The wolf stared at him, looking for any of the signs that the dog might’ve been abused by his master, but found none, he questioned again, rephrasing his question, “He doesn’t use you like a slave? Something he fucks?” 

Chanyeol’s eyes grew wide and the wolf thought they meant what he had been implying with the first question, but the answer surprised him, “Oh, no. Junmyeon doesn’t do that. I love him and he loves me, but he doesn’t… touch me like that.” He coughed into one hand while he handed over the clothes, muttering, “If anything, I do that… to him. When I go through a rut, and other times.” 

The wolf stayed silent at that, thinking it over before taking the clothes and started to shed off his old for the new. It wasn’t anything that hybrids felt ashamed of, each other’s nakedness. The only time that they did feel embarrassment was in front of humans, although Chanyeol didn’t when it came to Junmyeon. 

As he slipped on the shirt, the wolf mumbled, “I’m Kris, I don’t have an owner anymore. The two little ones are Kyungsoo, the cat, and Baekhyun, the rabbit. I found them in that alleyway about two years ago, they were just small toddlers then. Someone that abandoned them and I took them under my wing. They’re both five now.” 

Kris sat down on the bed to put the pants on, and Chanyeol sat down beside him, “What happened to your owner?” 

Kris didn’t say anything at first, fastening the button on the pants, “I ran away from him. I was bought at a hybrid auction when I was a teenager,” Chanyeol knew what those were. There were several different trafficking rings nowadays. Some sold humans and others sold hybrids. They were horrible places and did horrible things to individuals. “He’d bought me as a pretty face and something to leave tied to the bed and ready for whenever he wanted me.” 

“Should we be worried that he’s looking for you? I can tell Junmyeon and he’ll keep you safe,” Chanyeol stated, noticing the sour look on Kris’s face at the mention of Junmyeon. For all that Chanyeol knew, the only humans that Kris could’ve met were bad humans. But that wasn’t what Junmyeon was. Neither was all the adjummas at the marketplace. Even Junmyeon’s friends weren’t bad humans. “He’s not the same as your owner or whatever kind of humans you’ve met. Junmyeon is kind.” 

Kris shook his head, muttering as he slipped on the hoodie, content in the warmth he was now able to sustain, “I thought we were just staying for the night.” 

Chanyeol shrugged, “If you want to, or you could stay longer, Junmyeon wouldn’t care. He’d probably insist. He wouldn’t want you out in the cold like that, not when we have the room for you. You can stay in here, in my room, for as long as you like. We can even set up another bed for the two little ones, if you want the big one by yourself.” 

“They’d want to sleep with me… we always sleep cuddled up. I’m their source of warmth.” 

Chanyeol was about to reply but the soft knock on the door stopped him, Junmyeon cracked it open to peek in, “Chanyeol? I’ve fixed you both some warm tea, if you want it, Baekhyun and Kyungsoo are content with their cocoa. Will you get started on some soup for us? I’m going to run to my brother’s house right quick and see if he has any spare clothes that’ll fit the two little ones.” He looked over at Kris, “If you want, you can give them a bath later on before bedtime and they’ll have clean clothes to change into.” 

Chanyeol nodded, and was up and out of the room with Kris behind him. Junmyeon slipped on his coat and bid a quick goodbye. He was out the door to his brother’s house that wasn’t far from the apartment. 

“You have to cook for him too? You sure he doesn’t have you just to boss around?” Kris questioned, glancing over at Baekhyun and Kyungsoo to see them content with their cocoa and cartoons on the television. They were under a throw now instead of the coats. 

Chanyeol chuckled, collecting the vegetables that Junmyeon must’ve cut up for the soup, “You’d better be glad it’s me cooking instead of Junmyeon, he’s hopeless in the kitchen. The only thing he can make is ramen, and even that is too watery.” He reached up in the cabinet for the spices for the soup and started working at it. “You guys aren’t allergic to anything, are you?” 

Kris shook his head, looking down at the cup of tea in front of him, “We’ve been eating scraps and haven’t died yet.” 

The dog hybrid tried not to grimace at the sound of that, he could remember getting nothing but scraps from his old master. It wasn’t even appetizing, but for empty and starving stomachs, he figured it was better than nothing. 

“If you stay here with us, you won’t have to eat scraps anymore. You’ll have whole meals… made by me,” he grinned proudly. 

Kris stayed quiet at that, choosing to turn towards the television, glancing at the two little ones on the couch, they looked like they were dozing off. He didn’t mean to leave them that long earlier today, he was busy trying to find some more blankets or something to keep warm that night with. He knew the human was right earlier, it was going to get colder that night and he could feel the bad weather coming in the air. He was trying his best for the two so they wouldn’t end up freezing to death that night. 

He supposed he was glad that the dog and human found them. He hadn’t had any luck with the extra blankets. Nor had he any luck with any food today either. And now as the dog hybrid started mixing up vegetables and meats into something that smelled like chicken broth, he was definitely thankful he didn’t let his stubbornness rule out. He didn’t know what tomorrow morning might bring, but at least tonight, they would have food and a warm bed. 


	2. Part 2

“Hopefully these will fit. They’re some of the clothes that Kyuhyun and Donghae grew out of. We just haven’t had time to sort through them,” Dongkyu handed over the pile of clothes. They belonged to his children but as the two boys were now entering into pre-teen years, they definitely didn’t fit anymore. “I’m surprised you took on two more hybrids, especially small ones. They’ll need a lot of care and attention, you know.”

Junmyeon nodded, “I know,” he took the clothes and placed them in the bag that Dongkyu’s wife gave him. He shrugged, not wanting to go into full detail, “It was kind of spur of the moment.”

But his brother knew him a lot better than he gave him credit for. “You picked up strays, didn’t you?” To which the widening of Junmyeon’s eyes gave away his discretion. His brother shook his head, a small smile tugging at his lips, “You did that even as kids, Junmyeon, I remember the countless animals you tried to bring home. You even did that with Chanyeol, technically. Are you going to keep the two little ones? Permanently?”

“Well, they don’t have a home… I may have also offered a place for the older hybrid that was taking care of them too.” At his brother’s teasing expression, he shrugged, “I couldn’t help myself, they were living in an alleyway, and it’s going to be freezing tonight, and they’re calling for a blizzard later this week. I had to help.”

Dongkyu raised his hands in defense, “I’m not judging. I won’t tell Umma anything about it either, you know she’d disapprove. Too worried about getting you married off like she did me.”

“She’s not that overbearing about it with me though. You’re her oldest, and really, the only person that people look at with our family,” Junmyeon said, honestly, and he wasn’t bitter about that either. His brother knew that he didn’t like women in a romantic sense, but his mother didn’t. She still tried to set him up with different girls she knew.

She was the person that introduced Dongkyu to his wife, Seongmi, and they gotten married shortly after with a child on the way months later. But every date that she’d set up for Junmyeon had failed horribly. Thankfully since Chanyeol came into the picture, his mother hadn’t set up anymore dates. Although Junmyeon wondered about the reasoning for that, but didn’t question it.

“I guess that’s a good thing, in a way. At least you have a quieter life,” Dongkyu replied. “You’d better head on before it gets too much later. I don’t want you to freeze on the way back to your apartment.”

Junmyeon nodded and bowed, “I’ll talk to you later, and thank you again for the clothes.”

“No problem, take care of yourself and the little ones.”

The aroma that filled the apartment when Junmyeon walked through the front door was heavenly. The dog hybrid was in front of the stove, stirring the mixture in the large pot, while the wolf hybrid was busy with putting bowls and cups on the table. Junmyeon noticed the two little hybrids were wide awake and while the cartoons were still playing, they looked more concerned about when the food would be ready. His heart ached at the sight, he wondered when the last time they had a warm cooked meal was.

“I got you two some clothes, I’m hoping they’ll fit,” Junmyeon stated, holding up the bag before placing it on the recliner chair.

The bunny hybrid, Baekhyun, looked curiously at the bag, then at Junmyeon, “Are we going to stay here forever?”

Junmyeon’s eyes widened, he glanced at the wolf hybrid to see him paused, glancing at Baekhyun before scowling at Junmyeon. He spoke up before Junmyeon could, “Just because he brought clothes for you doesn’t mean we’re going to stay here forever. He’ll kick us out when he’s tired of us.”

Chanyeol growled at the wolf hybrid at that, while the ears on Baekhyun’s head deflated at that answer. Junmyeon quickly retorted, wanting to comfort the hybrid, “I’m not going to kick you out, Baekhyun, you can stay as long as you like. We have plenty of room for all of you.”

“Don’t get his hopes up if you’re just going to crush them when you tell us to leave,” Kris glared at Junmyeon.

Chanyeol reached over and smacked the back of the wolf’s head, an action that surprised Junmyeon, and he thought there’d be a scuffle between the two but the wolf actually looked it wounded his pride.

“I told you that Junmyeon isn’t like your previous owner, I don’t take kindly to someone insulting my master,” Chanyeol then pointed at one of the chairs at the table, “Have a seat, grumpy-pants, the soup is done.”

Junmyeon’s eyes widened at the sight of the wolf hybrid actually sitting down at the table, he stayed quiet as Chanyeol beckoned the two little ones to the table. Junmyeon started scooping up some of the soup into bowls and placing them in front of the little ones, a little hesitant at doing so in front of the wolf, but after Chanyeol’s reprimanding, he didn’t seem that hostile. The scent of the soup seemed to keep him preoccupied.

Chanyeol poured some more tea in cups and placed them in Junmyeon, his, and the wolf’s spot, then dug out two juices from the fridge for the little ones. Other than the sound of utensils and chewing, everyone was quiet as they ate.

“Do you think the bed in Chanyeol’s bed will be big enough for you three right now?” Junmyeon spoke up, looking at Kris before glancing at Chanyeol.

The wolf looked like he didn’t want to answer or talk to the human, but finally spoke, “It will for now… we do grow faster than you humans do.”

Junmyeon nodded, “True, let me know if it gets too crowded and I can see about getting a bunk-bed for them.”

Kris was quiet for a moment, staring at the remainder of the soup in his bowl, then turned to Junmyeon, “We can’t stay with you forever. You don’t own us just because you’re giving us a place to stay.”

“I never said I did. But as long as you are staying here, you may as well be comfortable,” Junmyeon stated.

The wolf hybrid looked like he wanted to say something else, but Chanyeol decided to change the subject, directing his question to Baekhyun and Kyungsoo, “Do you two want to finish up and get a warm bath? I got some bubble bath, have you had a bubble bath?”

Seeing the excitement in Chanyeol’s eyes made the two little ones hype up in anticipation, Kyungsoo spoke up, “We’ve never had a bubble bath… we have taken bath in puddles during the summer.”

Baekhyun chimed in, “Is it as fun as splashing in those?”

Chanyeol nodded regardless of how little he actually got to splash in puddles. Maybe when he was still a little pup, it was fun to get all wet and muddy but now? He’d pass. But a bubble bath? He ate those up whenever Junmyeon bought him the soap.

“Yeah, you can pile the bubbles up on your head, or make a beard with them. They’re fun to blow at each other too,” Chanyeol nodded towards their bowls, “Go ahead and finish up and I’ll get the bath started.”

The two quickly finished their meals, and before Chanyeol could finish, they were already asking about the bath. Chanyeol got out of his chair and took the two into the bathroom where he got started on filling the tub and mixing in the soap to make a lot of bubbles. Junmyeon was surprised that the wolf hybrid didn’t follow after them, although he looked like he wanted to.

“You can join them too, you know?” Junmyeon said, gathering up the empty bowls and cups from the table and setting them in the sink.

Kris’s upper lip twitched, mood seeming soured just about anytime that Junmyeon talked to him, he looked at the dishes in the sink and then back to the hallway where he saw Chanyeol, Baekhyun, and Kyugsoo disappear in one of the doorways. “Did… did he take the clothes you brought with them?”

Junmyeon glanced back in the living room, spotting the bag of clothes still in the recliner chair. He shook his head, chuckling softly, “No, he didn’t,” he pointed towards them, a fond smile on his lips as he looked back at Kris, “Chanyeol forgets things often.”

Kris nodded, “I see… I’ll take those to him then?” He seemed hesitant to do so, unsure if he should offer to clean the dishes or see to his two little ones.

Just as Kris was about to get the bag, Junmyeon spoke up, his back to the wolf hybrid as he set about filling the sink to start washing the dishes, “Kris, if they don’t use up all the hot water, you’re more than welcomed to get a bath or a shower.”

So he wouldn’t catch the hybrid’s ears perk up at the mention of a shower. God, he’d love a shower. A nice warm shower to wash off all the years of dirt and musk. Maybe it would finally warm his bones. Although the heating in the apartment was doing wonders to him now, along with Chanyeol’s clothes that he’d borrowed. A lot better than what he was used to, and what he’d been subjected to in the past.

“Okay,” he mumbled quietly, grabbing the bag of clothes and making his way towards the bathroom.

Through the door, he heard laughter coming from Baekhyun and Kyungsoo talking about something, it was muffled and the cat hybrid always spoke too soft and low. He opened the door and was met with the sight of Chanyeol’s head covered in soap bubbles. Baekhyun resembled Chanyeol’s bubble-covered head, but he also was sporting a bubble beard. Kyungsoo only had a bubble beard, his hands covered in bubbles where it looked like he was putting more on Chanyeol’s head.

The three turned to him, and he held up the bag of clothes, “You forgot this before you jumped in the bath.” He peeked inside the bag and saw what looked like pajamas along with some regular clothes. They looked a tad bit big, but they would do. He turned to Chaneyol, “Do you need a hand with cleaning them?”

Chanyeol shook his head, a goofy grin on his lips, the action causing some of the bubbles to fall off into the tub, “I got them, go help Junmyeon with the dishes…” then he glared at Kris, “ _Be nice to him_.”

Kris understood the threat there, it didn’t make it any less hilarious to see the dog hybrid glaring daggers at him while covered in bubbles, naked as a jaybird.

But before Kris could close the door and follow through with the task, Kyungsoo spoke up, “Yeah, be nice to Junmyeon, hyung… he’s nice… he gave us hot cocoa.”

“With marshmallows!” Baekhyun chimed in, and Kris couldn’t stop the small laugh, shaking his head as he closed the door and walked back into the kitchen.

He saw the table was cleared of everything, and Junmyeon was in front of the sink, washing the dishes. He glanced at the stove to see the soup still on the eye of the stove. The teapot was still on the counter. He wasn’t sure what to do with them. His last owner had servants that took care of stuff like that.

Kris cleared his throat softly, catching Junmyeon’s attention, “Do you… want me to put these somewhere?” He motioned towards the soup pot and the teapot.

Junmyeon nodded towards the fridge, “You can put the soup in the fridge, we’ll probably eat the rest with breakfast in the morning. But the tea, there’s only a little bit left, do you want the rest of it? If you do, I can go ahead and wash it up after it’s empty.”

Kris hummed, mumbling, “I’d be dirtying up another dish if I did get a cup…”

“I can always wash it again, go ahead,” Junmyeon replied, grabbing a cup from the drying rack and handing it to him. “Will you hand me the teapot after you get the rest?”

Kris nodded, filling up the cup almost halfway with the rest of the tea. It was still warm. He handed the teapot to Junmyeon, watching as the human started washing it out.

“Can I… can I help with anything?” He offered, setting down his cup of tea, Chanyeol said be nice, and he was backed by Kyungsoo and Baekhyun, so he was being nice.

“If you want, you can get a towel out of that drawer and dry the dishes,” he pointed towards on of the drawers next to the stove. Inside were several dish towels.

Kris picked up one and stood beside Junmyeon as he picked up the dishes out of the drying rack to start toweling them dry. It was quiet between them, the only noise that was heard was the water in the sink splashing as Junmyeon washed the dishes, and the faint sounds of Baekhyun’s laughter mixed with a deeper laughter.

“Did you tell your brother about us?” Kris asked, glancing at Junmyeon before turning back to toweling the bowl dry.

Junmyeon shrugged, “Well, I tried not to… I told him at first that I had gotten two more little hybrids, but he knows how I am. If I see someone in need, I can’t just walk by. I used to bring home abandoned animals all the time when I was a child. My mother used to get so frustrated with me about that.”

“She doesn’t like animals?” Kris asked.

Junmyeon shook his head, “No, she likes them, but she didn’t want our home looking like a zoo before long. So when I found abandoned animals, she’d take them to the shelters instead. They were good shelters though, I made sure of it.”

Kris scoffed, “Everything has a front though. It could’ve said it was a nice shelter and still killed or tortured the animal.” He looked at Junmyeon, “I’d have attacked you if you offered taking us to the shelter.”

Junmyeon met his gaze, “I wouldn’t have done that. I’ve heard all about how some shelters are run for hybrids.”

They were a nightmare for most hybrids. Kept in cages, feed only once or twice a day, most baby hybrids were taken away from their parents, mother or father, and either sold or adopted away. Chanyeol told him before about his short time in a shelter when he was a small pup before he was bought, it was horrifying. There were some shelters that even supplied hybrids for trafficking rings.

Kris was right. Some places only had a front to the horrors that went on behind closed doors.

“Is that what happened to you? Were you in one of the bad shelters?” Junmyeon asked, he was a bit hesitant to get on the subject. He could feel the hostility from the hybrid towards him just for being a human. For all he knew, the only humans Kris could’ve met were bad ones.

The laws set in place didn’t make matters easier for hybrids either. They couldn’t hold jobs, they couldn’t have their own housing, they couldn’t do much for themselves. They had to be cared for, or looked after. Odds are since Kris and the babies were in the alleyway, they probably tried to stay out of sight of humans for fear of them hurting them or calling the police to get them off the streets.

A hybrid couldn’t even walk down the street without their owners. Chanyeol got away with it due to his little hoodie or hat tricks, Junmyeon knew, but the hybrid was cautious, and he only went down to the music store not far from the apartment. Inside there, his friend, Kai, took care of Chanyeol, claiming the hybrid was his own to keep customers from saying anything about Chanyeol.

Kris didn’t say anything at first, finishing up with the cup he was drying, then setting it down with the other dried dishes. He looked at Junmyeon, a slight glimpse of vulnerability in his expression then he turned away with a scowl, “I’m a wolf, and you know that a wolf isn’t a typical _pet_ for someone to adopt.” Junmyeon nodded at that, a wolf was more hostile, they weren’t easy hybrids to purchase, not like a dog hybrid or cat hybrid. “When I was still a pup, I was in a shelter that sold us to hybrid traffickers. I was one of the ‘pretty’ pups so I was one of the hybrids sold to the traffickers, and from there, I was dragged around the country in a cage, tortured here and there, until I was finally sold at an auction.

“Some rich man bought me. He looked nice, he was about your height, had a nice smile, like yours, I _thought_ I was going to be taken care of then. He didn’t look like he’d hurt me, not like the traffickers did. And I was okay, at first, he settled me into his home, I had food and water, and a small bed, and after my eighteen birthday, he changed…” Kris’s voice shook at the last part. The towel in his hands was now bunched up with how hard he was gripping it.

Junmyeon could only guess what happened next, he felt sorry for the hybrid, and if Junmyeon resembled Kris’s previous owner, he could understand why the wolf was hostile to him to begin with. He probably still wondered if Junmyeon would change or snap into whatever his previous owner was.

“You don’t have to go on… if you don’t want to, Kris, I understand it’s traumatizing,” Junmyeon wanted to reach out to him, but stopped himself. The remaining dishes in the sink were forgotten now.

The small wet laugh that came from the wolf hybrid caught Junmyeon off guard, but Kris then turned to him, eyes watered, but harsh, “It wouldn’t matter if I told you or not, we can’t stay here forever anyway. We’re just staying the night.”

Junmyeon nodded dumbly, “If that’s what you want… but I’m not going to kick you out, if that’s what you’re worried about. You don’t have to just stay the night, you can stay as long as you like. It’s too cold out there for you three to stay out there.” He figured this was just Kris changing the subject to keep his secrets to himself. Junmyeon went back to washing dishes, “But if you want to talk, I’m here, and so is Chanyeol, if you find him easier to talk to.”

Kris started to reply, but the wet feet running on the floor stopped him, a pair of arms wrapped around his leg. It was Baekhyun, grinning up at him, wet hair dripping and the hybrid was stark naked.

“Chanyeol couldn’t catch me, hyung!”

Junmyeon and Kris looked to the doorway of the hallway to see Chanyeol in fresh clothes, a towel-covered Kyungsoo under his arm, with another towel in his other hand. “He got away from me before I could cover him with the towel.” He tossed it towards Kris, the wolf catching it and before Baekhyun could run off from Kris, Kris was already grabbing him and wrapping the towel around him.

“You can’t run around naked, Baekhyun,” Kris tsked, bending down to towel the little one dry.

Junmyeon grabbed another one of the kitchen towels from the drawer and started drying Baekhyun’s wet ears with it. “It may be warm in here, but you could still catch a cold if you run around with a wet head.”

“There’s still some hot water, if you want a shower, Kris,” Chanyeol said before turning back to the hallway to take Kyungsoo to finish drying him off and getting him clothed.

Junmyeon placed his hand over Kris’s on the towel, “I can finish drying him off if you want to go ahead and get that shower. Chanyeol and I can handle them for now.”

Kris chuckled softly, “Maybe you can handle this one,” he tapped Baekhyun’s nose, catching a giggle from the bunny, “because it’s obvious that Chanyeol couldn’t.”

“He’ll be good for me, won’t you, Baekhyun?” Junmyeon asked, to which the bunny hybrid nodded.

“I will, you’ll give me more hot cocoa with marshmallows?”

“I don’t see why not, after you get dry and put some clothes on, I’ll make some and we can watch some more cartoons, yeah?”


	3. Part 3

The hot water spraying down on his head was the best thing that Kris had felt in a long, _long_ time. He knew that he still had shampoo to wash out but he couldn’t stop himself from just standing under the sprayer and letting himself soak in as much of that hot water as he could. He figured the shampoo that he used must’ve belonged to Chanyeol, it was the small traces that he caught on the dog hybrid that mingled with his natural scent.

He reached up and started washing the soap suds from his hair, then worked to washing off the rest of his body with the body wash. There were two different body washes on the side of the tub, one for humans and the other for hybrids, he wondered just how close Chanyeol and Junmyeon’s relationship was. He finished up washing his arms and chest then worked to washing off his tail. He was a bit digusted and saddened by the state he’d let his tail get to. Instead of the bushy gray and white tail that he used to have, it was matted with dirt and grime.

At least for now, he’d be able to wash away all the years of dirt down the drain. Quite literally. The water and soap washing away from him was brown from dirt as it went down the drain in the tub.

He wondered vaguely about Junmyeon’s offer for them staying as long as they wanted. He worried about that, because with treatment like this, and warm meals and a warm bed waiting for him, he felt like he’d be stupid if he turned it down. Especially with taking care of Kyungsoo and Baekhyun. He knew the two would benefit better with this living arrangement than the cardboard box in the alleyway.

But that’s what had him faltering. He was young when he was bought from the auction, a little bit older than Baekhyun and Kyungsoo, but still young. What if Junmyeon only wanted them to stay until the two were older? Until they were whatever age Junmyeon deemed them to be taken advantage of?

It left a scary feeling in Kris’s bones. He couldn’t let that happen to them. He still had nightmares of being back in his old owner’s home, getting hit for not obeying, being touched in places he didn’t want to be touched, having his face bruised for trying to resist the man.

He quickly shook the thoughts from his head, stepping out from under the sprayer and turning off the water. He reached for a towel to dry himself off with. He didn’t believe Junmyeon could be capable of those things, but he didn’t believe his owner could either, but he had.

They both had a nice smile, but there could be so many things going on behind that smile. Kris learned that the hard way. Which is why he was so cautious with Junmyeon. Chanyeol said he had nothing to worry about with the man, the human, but Kris didn’t know if Chanyeol was just saying that out of fear, or out of truth.

Even Kris had been forced to act like he was fine and nothing was wrong in public or in the public view around his old owner. Maybe Chanyeol was doing the same? Maybe it was all a play and the real masks came off behind closed doors?

He reached for the other pair of clothes that Chanyeol gave him, the ones he had been wearing of the dog hybrid’s were on the floor. He wasn’t sure where to put those, so he gathered them up. He could ask Chanyeol when he entered the living room again.

Although upon entering the living room, he heard the loud snoring, followed by two softer ones. On the couch, cuddled between a sleeping Junmyeon and Chanyeol were Baekhyun and Kyungsoo, under a throw blanket, the cartoons were nothing more than background noise now. It almost looked like a family scene that Kris had walked into. A bit odd one. Three hybrids and a human but he’d heard of humans falling in love with hybrids.

They were shamed for that by certain religious groups that believed hybrids were nothing more than animals, but that didn’t stop some humans from loving their hybrids more than they should.

A loud scene on the television had Junmyeon startling awake. He looked around and saw Kris standing in the doorway, looking unsure of himself. “Oh, Kris, you’re finished with your shower.” He moved the throw off of himself and made sure that Baekhyun was okay before getting up from the couch, he reached out for the clothes that Kris had, “I’ll take those, you can take my spot on the couch, if you want, or if you want to go onto bed, you can. I’ll wake Chanyeol up after I put your clothes in the wash.”

Kris handed over the clothes, “I can go ahead and wake him up… we can move the kids to the bed.” Junmyeon nodded at that, looking around hesitantly, “What time do you wake up in the morning?”

“Well, it usually depends on whenever Chanyeol wants to get up. Tomorrow is Sunday and we usually end up lazing around in bed until we get hungry enough to get up. I can set an alarm if you’d like us to be up earlier?”

Kris shook his head, still hesitant, but finally, in a small voice, he asked, “You said there was a call for a blizzard later this week?”

Junmyeon nodded, wondering about the hybrid’s behavior, “Yeah, that’s what the weatherman says anyway. It’ll probably just be a few snow flurries and cold rain.”

“I know I said we’d just stay tonight… but could we stay until the bad weather is over?” Kris asked, “I don’t want Baekhyun and Kyungsoo getting sick if we’re back in that cardboard box by then. And if it’s going to be cold rain, there’s only so much warmth I can provide for them in a soaked box.”

“Kris, I told you that if you want to stay as long as you like, you’re more than welcome to, and I mean that,” Junmyeon replied. “I would rather you three stay here than out there, its too cold for all three of you out there. I know you’re hesitant to trust me, being a human, but I promise you that I want nothing but the best for the three of you, and if I can provide that, please, take advantage of it. I want you to.”

Kris nodded numbly, only able to trust Junmyeon at his word for now. Junmyeon took the clothes and went towards the kitchen area, Kris figured that’s where the dirty clothes went. While he did that, Kris walked over and shook Chanyeol awake.

“Help me move these two into the bedroom,” he requested, already carefully picking up Baekhyun to try not to wake him.

Chanyeol hummed, sleepily, he yawned, “Where’s Junmyeon?” He picked up Kyungsoo and the two started down the hallway.

“Taking care of the dirty clothes,” Kris stated. Baekhyun snuggled into his neck, half-awake when Kris settled him into the bed. “I guess we’ll go onto sleep now.” He helped Chanyeol settle Kyungsoo before climbing into bed himself. He situated himself between the two little ones, like they usually slept. Just so that if either got frightened through the night, they’d be able to cling to him.

Chanyeol yawned again, “I think me and Junmyeon will too. Good night, Kris.” He walked back to the door, hand hovering over the light switch, “You’re, at least, staying for breakfast in the morning, right?”

“Yeah… I asked Junmyeon if we could stay until the bad weather he talked about was over.”

Chanyeol smiled, “Good, and maybe by then, you’ll decide you’ll want to stay even longer.” He switched off the lights, muttering to himself as he closed the door to the room, “I just hope the power doesn’t go out in the blizzard.”

He caught Junmyeon in the hallway, both of them heading towards their room, and before he stepped foot into the room, he heard the lock on the other door clicking. He figured that Kris would end up locking the door, Junmyeon even said he could, and for now, until they could earn his trust, any little precautions were necessary.

“I forgot all about the clothes earlier,” Junmyeon admitted as they stripped down into something more comfortable to sleep in. Junmyeon wore pajama pants and a t-shirt to bed while Chanyeol usually opted for naked in the summer or boxers in the winter.

Chanyeol laughed softly, “With the kind of day we’ve had, it’s understandable.” He pulled back the blankets and slid under them. “Kris said they’ll stay until after the storm?”

Junmyeon nodded, “Yeah, I was surprised at first, but I’m glad he rethought that one night deal. I would’ve been worried the whole time if they were caught out in that.” He slid in beside Chanyeol and the dog hybrid naturally threw his arm and leg over Junmyeon, curling up to him, “Which reminds me, I have to charge the batteries in the heating blankets, just in case the power does go out.”

Chanyeol shuddered, “I hope it doesn’t, but at least we’ll still be warm then.” He closed his eyes, snuggling up to Junmyeon, “Good night, Myeonie. I love you.”

Junmyeon turned his head to kiss the side of Chanyeol’s cheek, “I love you too, Chanyeol, good night.”

\--

The next morning, Kris woke up from the best sleep he’d had in a long time. Which confused him, because he was lying on something soft, under something that was soft and so warm, not cold concrete like usual. And for a moment, he froze, wondering if he ended up back where he ran away from. But the two hands that were gripping his shirt on either side of him had him breathing again. He opened his eyes and looked down to see a brown head and black head on either side of him. Baekhyun and Kyungsoo.

They were both snuggled under the blankets, Baekhyun was snoring softly while Kyungsoo’s breathing was even.

He sighed to himself in content, looking up at the ceiling in the room, he was so warm and comfortable where he lied, and he knew the two little ones were. They hadn’t slept that soundly in a long time. It was one more thing that made him grateful that he didn’t reject Junmyeon’s offer yesterday. He could easily get used to sleeping in a bed like this, and waking up without an icicle for a nose.

The sun was out, but it was obvious that it was overcast, the room was lit up, but in a gray hue. He glanced over at the small clock on the bedside dresser to see that it was almost nine o’clock in the morning. He wondered when Chanyeol and Junmyeon would be waking up. Junmyeon said last night that it was their lazy day.

He listened for any noises throughout the apartment, but the only thing he heard was the sounds of that deep snoring from last night along with a softer snore. So they were still asleep. As he lied there, and listened to the sounds throughout the apartment, he slowly drifted back off to sleep, the warmth and the bed lulled him back to dreamland.

When he woke back up, he noticed that he was alone in bed, but before he could go into a panic, he heard Baekhyun’s voice in the apartment, saying that he wanted pancakes. The sizzling of whatever was on the stove could be heard, he heard Chanyeol’s deep voice agreeing to Baekhyun’s pancake request, and then with his great sense of smell, the most wonderful aroma filled his nose. One that he’d only caught whiffs of when someone passed by the alleyway that they stayed in.

 _Coffee_.

He pushed the blankets off of him, and left out of the room, he stopped by the bathroom first for the demanding bladder’s request, and then made his way down the hall and leaned against the kitchen doorway. The smell of coffee was even stronger now, and there he saw it, Junmyeon at the table, looking half-sleep over a steaming cup of coffee. Baekhyun had a juice in front of him, and Kyungsoo was standing on a step-stool beside Chanyeol in front of the stove. The cat hybrid was watching Chanyeol flip the pancake.

Baekhyun was the first to notice him, his loud voice filling the kitchen, “Hyung! Chanyeol is making pancakes!”

Kris chuckled softly, “I see that. When did you guys wake up?”

“When they heard us get up,” Chanyeol laughed, “I went to the bathroom and that’s when I heard little feet on the floor.”

Junmyeon had managed to open his heavy eyes a little more, “We got up about an hour ago, do you want some coffee? Or if you’re like Chanyeol, juice? He doesn’t like coffee, too bitter for him.”

Kris couldn’t stop himself from accepting the cup of coffee. It’d been so long since he had a cup. Junmyeon got up and set him up a cup in front of the small machine, he replaced the small pod with another one, and pressed one of the buttons. In seconds, Kris had a steaming cup of coffee ready for him.

“The sugar is beside Chanyeol and I have some liquid creamer in the fridge,” Junmyeon stated, yawning as he returned to his seat with careful movements.

Kris grabbed the fixing and made up his coffee just the way he remembered he used to, and could’ve almost moaned when he took the first sip. When he opened his eyes, he saw a small glance of sympathy on Junmyeon’s face that quickly faded with another yawn. He took a seat at the table, vaguely wondering why Junmyeon seemed so tired that morning, unless he didn’t sleep that well.

But then he caught the faint scent lingering on Junmyeon. It was Chanyeol’s scent, it had been washed mostly away with water, that he now realized that Junmyeon’s hair was still damp, but he still had Chanyeol’s scent on him. And then he remembered the way that Junmyeon had sat down at the table, and when he glanced over at Chanyeol, he noticed a perk in the dog hybrid’s steps.

 _Oh god_ , he finally realized it, eyes widening with that knowledge. When Chanyeol said that he warmed Junmyeon’s bed yesterday, Kris figured that Chanyeol was the submissive… not Junmyeon. Surely, that’s how a hybrid and human relationship worked… wasn’t it? The human was above the hybrid… or so Kris thought.

That was odd, he couldn’t remember hearing anything like that going on last night. But as soon as his head hit that pillow, he was out like a light, and he slept so comfortably that he believed nothing could’ve woken him up.

Those thoughts subsided when the plate of pancakes was set down in front of him, the smell made his mouth water, buttery and sweet smelling. The kiss that Chanyeol placed on top of Junmyeon’s head had Kris’s eyes widening. The way that Junmyeon looked up at the dog hybrid… maybe there was something more to their relationship than what Kris thought.

“Mmm, these are so good, Chanyeol!” Baekhyun exclaimed, chewing away at his mouthful of pancake.

Kyungsoo hummed in agreement, “Can you teach me how to make them next time?”

Chanyeol nodded, reaching over to ruffle Kyungsoo’s hair, “Sure, anytime you want to learn how to make certain dishes, I’ll teach you.”

Kris listened to the small talk between Chanyeol and the two little ones, Junmyeon’s voice drew his attention to the man, “I’m going back to the marketplace today, do you want me to pick up anything else for you and the babies? Like more clothes or any necessities you need?”

“I can’t think of anything… I don’t have any money though,” Kris mumbled, taking another sip of his coffee.

Junmyeon shook his head, “I’ll cover it, you don’t have to have any money… if you’d like, you can come with me? Chanyeol can take care of Baekhyun and Kyungsoo. You can pick out clothes for yourself too. I know Chanyeol’s fits but you should have your own clothes too.”

Chanyeol chimed in, “You’ll love all the adjummas at the marketplace, they give the best ear rubs.” He turned pleading eyes to Junmyeon, “Will you pick up some more hotteok?”

Junmyeon chuckled softly, “Of course, I’ll pick up extras for the babies too.”

\--

Kris tugged at the collar that Chanyeol gave him that was around his neck as they started down the sidewalk towards the marketplace. It was uncomfortable to wear, he hadn’t worn a collar in so long, he hated the things. They were so belittling, but Chanyeol and Junmyeon said he had to have one or Junmyeon could end up in trouble.

They told him that it was the law that hybrids be leashed when they were out in public. If someone didn’t have a collar on their hybrid, they could be fined.

He stuck close to Junmyeon’s side as they moved down the sidewalk, it was cold, and the sidewalk near Junmyeon’s apartment wasn’t that crowded but by the time they reached the marketplace, it was a bit crowded. Junmyeon pointed towards different stands where there was a variety of things for sale.

Sweets, breads, vegetables, meats, then the clothes, shoes, coats. Everything that a person could need was all down the alleyway that was filled with vendors. Kris had wondered down through this alleyway a few times, in hopes of finding some discarded food, and stealing a bit here and there when he saw the owner distracted. Luckily no one recognized him, but they definitely recognized Junmyeon, and apparently they knew him and Chanyeol well, because when they looked at him, they immediately asked where the dog hybrid was.

“You and Chanyeol are pretty popular through here,” Kris murmured to Junmyeon, staying a bit closer to Junmyeon’s side. They had stopped at one of the vendors, a big sign saying HOTTEOK on the front of the stand.

Junmyeon laughed, “We come here almost every weekend. Chanyeol loves hotteok. And the adjummas love him.” He pointed towards the elderly lady that was placing the hotteok in a plastic bag for them, “She’s one of his favorite vendors.”

When she brought the bag over to him, he gave her the money, and Kris watched her curiously as she looked over him. She’d asked about Chanyeol when they stepped up to the stand, eyes widening and curious at seeing Kris instead of the dog hybrid.

“Would you like an ear rub too, puppy?”

Junmyeon noticed the way that Kris shied back from her touch, “He’s a bit shy right now, adjumma, but once he gets warmed up, I know he’d love one.”

She smiled and nodded, “Understandable. Tell Chanyeol that I said hello. Take care.”

As Kris walked behind Junmyeon, he muttered, “I’m not a dog. Why’d she call me a dog?”

“Her eyesight isn’t the best, Kris, all she saw was your ears and bushy tail. She couldn’t tell you were a wolf.” Junmyeon opened the bag of hotteok, holding it out to Kris, “Want one? They’re best when they’re hot.”

The sweet and buttery smell coming from the bag had his mouth watering, he reached into the bag and grabbed one of them, “Thanks.” He nibbled on it at first, before taking a bigger bite, “It’s good.”

“I’m glad you like it,” Junmyeon smiled, “Anywhere else you want to stop by?” He glanced back at the cart, looking over all the clothes, shoes, bags of food, and the few toys that Kris thought Baekhyun and Kyungsoo would like.

“I can’t think of anything else, you suggested us stop by all the stands for something I might like, and anything I liked, you bought,” Kris noted, finishing up the hotteok, “You spent so much money… if you have so much money, why are you in an apartment?”

Junmyeon raised his eyebrow, “What do you mean?”

Kris shrugged, “My previous owner was rich… he lived in a giant house away from everyone. He spent money like you do.”

Junmyeon was surprised to hear that little bit of information about the wolf hybrid, he wondered just how much of himself reminded Kris about his previous owner. He cleared his throat, “I’m not rich, Kris, my family is, and I do make a good living as a teacher. And I like my apartment, it’s cozy. A big house just seems cold.”

As Kris thought back of that house, aside from the way he was treated, it did seem cold now. There wasn’t much life within those walls, even though they were filled with servants bustling here and there, extravagant parties every so often, and business partners frequenting his previous owner’s office. It wasn’t cozy, it wasn’t warm, and it wasn’t anything like Kris experienced so far in Junmyeon’s apartment.


	4. Part 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mature contents ahead

When they got back to the apartment, Chanyeol was in the kitchen with Kyungsoo, Baekhyun was entertaining himself with the remote and trying to find a channel to watch. Chanyeol had started getting some dinner ready and Kyungsoo wanted to watch and learn how to cook from the dog hybrid. Baekhyun was the first up as soon as he saw the cart behind Junmyeon, eyes excited as he started questioning what Kris got him from the marketplace.

Junmyeon handed him the bag of hotteok, telling him that he had to share with Chanyeol and Kyungsoo before pulling the cart into the kitchen where he started unloading it. Handing off clothes that belonged to the wolf hybrid, along with the clothes that Kris picked out for the two little ones. Then he unloaded all the food, the snacks, veggies, and the small portions of meats that he picked up.

“I think we might have another chef on our hands here,” Chanyeol commented, instructing Kyungsoo on how to flip the fish in the frying pan with the spatula.

Junmyeon chuckled, coming up to Chanyeol and feeding the dog hybrid one of the hotteok, “I see he has more promise than I ever will.”

“He does. I’m sorry, Myeonie, but you are hopeless in the kitchen,” Chanyeol leaned over to kiss the tip of Junmyeon’s nose. An action that was normal to them, but they didn’t notice the widened eyes of Kris as he entered the kitchen from taking the clothes to the second bedroom.

“At least you’re honest,” Junmyeon shrugged, smiling softly, “I got you some more juices, and your candies for this week. I figure with the two little ones, you’ll run out before the weekend.” Then he paused, eyes widening, “Which reminds me, I need to charge the batteries for the electric blankets.” He pulled away from Chanyeol and passed by Kris, heading towards the cupboard in the hall where he looked through the different blankets, sheets, and pillowcases for the electric blankets.

“Why do we need electric blankets?” Kris asked, glancing back down the hall as Junmyeon searched for the items.

Chanyeol chewed the rest of his hotteok, “There’s going to be a blizzard later this week and it usually knocks the power out. So for us to stay warm, Junmyeon got some battery powered electric blankets. They’re pretty toasty after a little while, but at least you’ll still be warm until the power comes back on.”

“Oh, do you just stay in bed until the power comes back on?” Kris asked.

Chanyeol laughed softly, “Well, usually. But it’s usually just me and Junmyeon here when the power goes off. You can still get up and move about in the apartment, it’s just really cold. And there’s nothing I hate more than being cold,” he shivered just thinking of it.

“I wish I could share that statement,” Kris mumbled, sitting down at the kitchen table.

“You can, _now_ anyway,” Chanyeol threw him a knowing look. “You can stay in where there’s warmth, _here_ ,” he motioned to the apartment.

“Yeah, we’re not leaving again, are we, hyung?” Baekhyun asked with his bottom lip poked out in a pout, “It’s too cold outside, I don’t want to sleep in the cold again… I don’t want you or Kyungsoo to sleep in the cold either.”

Kyungsoo mumbled in agreement to that, focused half-heartedly on the conversation and more on trying to make sure the fish doesn’t burn.

Kris reached over and ruffled Baekhyun’s hair, “You can’t expect Junmyeon to let us live here forever though.”

“Why not?” Junmyeon questioned, coming into the conversation and kitchen, in his hands were the two blankets that he was looking for. He slipped through the kitchen and went to the backroom where the washer and dryer were. He kept an ear out as he plugged up the batteries to charge them and let the blankets air out.

“Yeah, hyung, why not? Junmyeon loves me! He gave me hot cocoa with marshmallows, and all these clothes he got us, that proves he loves me!” Baekhyun exclaimed, moving out of his chair and clinging to Junmyeon’s leg once the human walked back into the kitchen. He grinned up at the man, “You love me, don’t you, Junmyeon?”

Before Junmyeon could answer, Kris was already scoffing, “Just because he does all those things doesn’t mean he loves you, Baekhyun, nor does it mean that you can stay here forever.”

Baekhyun whined at the reply, but Chanyeol piped in, “Actions speak louder than words, Kris, maybe you’ll figure that out.” He turned back to the frying pan, turning off the heat after Kyungsoo had flipped the fish and gotten a golden crisp to both sides, “I think I speak for Junmyeon when I say that you three can stay here forever, whether you want to or not is entirely up to you. But I think the majority rules out,” he motioned towards the cat and rabbit hybrids who were more than happy to stay forever.

Kris rolled his eyes, he couldn’t argue with Chanyeol. The dog hybrid knew more than Kris did, he knew Junmyeon better than Kris did, and he trusted a human more than Kris did. But after being burned by his previous owner and by majority of the humans he’d come across since he ran away, he couldn’t say he favored them. At all.

But then he thought back to the way that Junmyeon treated him at the marketplace. He couldn’t help but liking that. He was treated with respect by the human, even consulted on his opinions about this or that. And Junmyeon felt warm.

Much like how he compared his apartment to a giant mansion. That was the difference that Kris felt between his previous owner and Junmyeon. Warmth. There was coldness in that man’s stare, that man’s touch, and that man’s fists against Kris’s face. But with Junmyeon? His very presence was warm.

He just hated to be wrong about the man, surely Junmyeon had true colors that weren’t shining through… yet. All humans had them, why wouldn’t Junmyeon?

So it just left Kris cautious as could be. Despite his heart and mind telling him that he could relax around the human, that there was no danger.

“But also, where would you find such good food if you left us?” Chanyeol asked, placing the grilled fish in front of Kris along with a bowl of rice and a bowl of the soup that was left over from yesterday.

Junmyeon was busy pouring drinks for everyone while Kyungsoo and Chanyeol gave out platings of the food they made. Kyungsoo looked rather proud of himself as Baekhyun dug into the fish and stated how good it tasted.

Kris couldn’t help but smile at the cat hybrid, complimenting the little chef as he started eating the fish too.

“I think you were right, Junmyeon, another little chef in the makings,” Chanyeol stated, winking at Kyungsoo.

\--

That night after dinner and the two little ones passing out on the couch while watching cartoons, they all finally retired to their bedrooms. Kris tucked both Baekhyun and Kyungsoo into bed, the two barely stirring in their sleep, and as he crawled into bed beside Kyungsoo, he listened out for Junmyeon and Chanyeol. He could hear their voices and movement from the two, something about getting clothes ready for the workday tomorrow.

He felt like a pervert for wondering about it but he couldn’t stop himself from wondering if they were going to do anything tonight.

_‘Are you four going to be good for tomorrow? I got enough food and I’ll leave some extra money behind if you need it for takeout,’_ Junmyeon’s voice carried.

_‘We’ll be fine. If it’s not too cold, I might offer them a walk to Kai’s music shop tomorrow,’_ Chanyeol replied.

_‘Okay, just be careful and don’t get caught,’_ Junmyeon stated, _‘Although you’ve walked down that street so many times and no one has questioned it, so you should be okay with them too. One of your hats should be able to conceal Kris’s ears. They’re not that big to hide.’_

Kris was very curious now about their conversation. He wondered who this Kai person was, probably another human, but he seemed like a friend to Chanyeol. Especially if Chanyeol was about to visit the individual without any reprimanding of broken laws or anything of the sort.

And Junmyeon’s tone only showed concern, not disapproval. Maybe he knew the Kai individual well too?

He heard the sound of blankets rustling and then settling, a quiet _‘love you_ ’ came from Junmyeon and a yawned response came from Chanyeol. With the little nickname that he heard Chanyeol call Junmyeon earlier. _Myeonie_.

Then the two fell silent, nothing else was heard and before long, all that filled Kris’s ears was the deep snoring from Chanyeol and the occasional soft snore that came from Junmyeon. He felt ashamed that he was actually disappointed that there wasn’t anything going to happen between the two.

He wanted to chalk it all up to just curiosity. And for the most part, it was just curiosity. He was curious about their relationship. If the little scent that he caught of Chanyeol on Junmyeon was any indication was what exactly was going on with their relationship. And then the little ‘love you’ from Junmyeon to Chanyeol, they must’ve been more than just an owner and pet.

Deciding to settle his mind, he allowed himself to slip onto sleep.

\--

“Mmm, Chanyeol?” Junmyeon mumbled, barely awake as he felt the movements against him. It was the same as last night. Chanyeol was humping him in his sleep again. He shook the dog hybrid, effectively waking him up. “You were humping my leg again.”

Chanyeol groaned softly, moving from where he had been clutching tightly to Junmyeon again, much like he always did, and then he noticed that he was hard. This happened last night too, after a wet dream had him waking up and then waking up Junmyeon with a few feverish kisses.

“I’m sorry… I know I’m not in a rut right now… I’m not sure why I had that kind of dream again tonight,” he mumbled, rubbing away the sleep in his eye. His legs were trembling where they held Junmyeon’s left leg captive, his hardness pressing into the man’s hip.

Junmyeon cupped the side of his face, “It’s okay, Chanyeol, do you need me again tonight?”

Chanyeol looked over at the clock on the bedside table, “It’s already four in the morning… and you have work today. I don’t want you to be in pain on the way to work. That’s a long walk to the bus station that you have.”

The human chuckled softly, “Nothing that I haven’t done before after one of your ruts, I’ll be fine. Just be gentle.”

“If you’re sure?” Chanyeol mumbled again, still not wanting Junmyeon to be in pain at work. But the man nodded, and leaned forward to catch the dog hybrid’s lips in a kiss. One that the hybrid quickly deepened, tongue slipping into Junmyeon’s mouth as he moved to settle on top of Junmyeon. Settling between Junmyeon’s thighs.

Junmyeon pulled away, murmuring a quick, “But you have to be quiet. I don’t want to wake Kris and the babies.”

Chanyeol chuckled, brushing against Junmyeon’s growing tent in his pajama pants, a moan escaping the human’s lips before he sealed them shut with his teeth sinking into his bottom lip. “I should be telling you that, Myeonie.”

“I’m amazed that we didn’t wake them last night,” Junmyeon whispered as Chanyeol made quick work of his boxers and Junmyeon’s pants. The only clothing he had left on was the white tank top.

“I think Kris knew this morning though, wolves have a better sense of smell than dogs do. Although ours is impressive, theirs is still stronger,” Chanyeol shrugged, grabbing the lube from the bedside table and quickly started fingering Junmyeon open.

At three fingers, Junmyeon shifted, whimpering softly, he was still sore from the knot that he had the night before, but with the soft reassurance to Chanyeol, the dog hybrid continued, trying to be as gentle as possible, even though his need kept growing. Junmyeon had to grab the pillow to muffle himself when that fourth finger entered him. After pumping them in and out a few times, Chanyeol withdrew his fingers, reaching for the lube again and sleeking himself up.

Junmyeon clutched onto the pillow once Chanyeol entered him, slowly and easing himself in, trying not to be rough with the man. Once he bottomed out, he slowly started up a pace. One that, while Junmyeon was grateful for, made the man groan into the pillow before begging Chanyeol to go faster. He could take it now that his body had become adjusted to it.

And the slight brushing of his prostate wasn’t doing it for him, it left him wanting more.

Picking up the pace, Chanyeol’s hold on Junmyeon’s hips tightened, thrusting harder now, trying to angle himself just right. And when he heard that muffled cry, he knew he’d found it. He kept up the pace, hitting that one spot, until Junmyeon was almost begging for him to touch him, let him come.

Chanyeol had to restrain himself from thrusting the rest of himself in and lock them together, quickly murmuring, “T-Turn over, Myeonie, I nee-need you to-” he pulled out and Junmyeon quickly shifted, turning over onto his stomach, hips raised and Chanyeol moaned at the sight of the pink hole grasping nothing but air. He wasted no time, thrusting right back in, and kept thrusting.

A whimper came from Junmyeon when the knot finally pushed past his rim, the thrusts turning shallow, and Chanyeol sought out that one spot, making sure to brush it with every thrust as his knot swelled and locked them in place. He stilled for a moment, draped over Junmyeon’s back, blindly reaching for Junmyeon’s hardness.

It took barely a few tugs and Junmyeon was coming, panting and gasping into the bed sheet. Chanyeol emptied himself inside Junmyeon, hips weakly thrusting and shaking as his orgasm swept over him. They both collapsed onto the bed, Chanyeol on top of Junmyeon for a moment before moving himself and Junmyeon to their sides, hips still flush against one another as Chanyeol remained tied, filling Junmyeon more.

As the two gasped for breath, Junmyeon reached back, hand finding Chanyeol’s and intertwined their fingers, “I love you, Chanyeol.”

Kissing the sweaty pale shoulder of the man’s, Chanyeol murmured back, “Love you too, Myeonie.”

They lied there, breaths finally evening out, Chanyeol peppering Junmyeon’s back and shoulders with kisses, while Junmyeon’s thumb caressed Chanyeol’s knuckles where their hands stayed in one another. The alarm clock was the only thing that disturbed their moment, Junmyeon reaching over blindly, moaning softly at the pull from Chanyeol’s knot, and shut it off.

“I have to get up…” Junmyeon mumbled, then whined, snuggling back into Chanyeol’s warmth, “I don’t want to now, tell me I don’t have to go to work today.”

Chanyeol hummed, “You can always call in.” He shifted, feeling himself now deflating. In a few more minutes, he could pull himself free. “I’m almost done.”

“If I called in, I wouldn’t get paid though,” Junmyeon said, and Chanyeol could hear the pout in his voice, he knew if he looked over, he’d see that bottom lip poked out. “It’s a good thing you can’t get me pregnant, I’d definitely a few litters by now.”

Chanyeol chuckled softly, “True. Although I guess we have a small litter right now.”

Junmyeon tensed, “True… you don’t think we woke them, do you?”

Chanyeol listened out and heard the three sets of soft snoring and breathing, “Nope, they’re still asleep.” He was quiet for a moment, moving back and pulling himself out of Junmyeon, the come coming out of the man always made Chanyeol feel something more for the man. Like ownership. Like he claimed him. Junmyeon was _his_. He supposed it could’ve been the animal side’s reaction of himself. “I wonder… if my body is reacting this way because Kris is around?”

Junmyeon slowly moved to get up, grabbing his discarded pajama pants to keep from dripping over everything, “Why do you say that?” Then he teased, “Are you jealous?”

“I’d have no reason to be… he doesn’t like humans, he’s already expressed his dislike towards you, even though I’ve told him to be nice, that you weren’t the same as his last owner,” he reached for his boxers, wiping himself off with them and moved to join Junmyeon on the way to tiptoe to the bathroom. “It could just be my body’s reaction, but I don’t mind sharing you.”

Junmyeon looked at him with surprised eyes, “Sharing me?”

Chanyeol shrugged, laughing softly, “Come on, Myeon, he’s your type. Tall, handsome, dark hair, and a love for kids? Well, hybrid kids, but still kids nonetheless. He’s like another version of myself. Only with a bad attitude.” It was Chanyeol’s turn to tease now, “Admit it. You like him.”

Junmyeon paused after he’d started the water in the shower, eyes wide as he stared at Chanyeol, he hesitated, “Well, you are right. He is handsome… I feel sorry for him honestly. You can see that he’s tried so hard to keep those two safe and provide for him, all the while, my kind has probably been nothing but mean and unfair to him. And then there’s the case of his old owner hurting him.”

Chanyeol nodded, understanding that, “True, but you felt sorry for me at first too, it still didn’t stop me or you falling in love with one another. Nor me from getting that ass,” he emphasized as he groped Junmyeon’s behind before he could step into the shower. But just as Junmyeon rolled his eyes and was about to draw the shower curtain, Chanyeol grabbed it, grinning at the man, “Admit it, Myeonie. You like him.”

Junmyeon tried to close the curtain but the grinning dog hybrid was not letting up, until finally Junmyeon relented. “Okay, I like him, Chanyeol. You’re right, he’s my type, another version of yourself…” he repeated the words that Chanyeol spoke earlier, tacking on, “just with a bad attitude.”

“That wasn’t so hard,” Chanyeol leaned forward and pecked a kiss to Junmyeon’s nose, letting the shower curtain fall back. He walked over to the toilet and relieved his bladder, mumbling, knowing that Junmyeon couldn’t hear him “Like I said, I don’t mind sharing.” Because just like with Chanyeol, he knew Junmyeon wouldn’t be able to stop himself from coming to love the wolf hybrid. And if he was right about Kris being anything like Chanyeol, he knew the wolf hybrid wouldn’t be able to stop himself either from falling in love with Junmyeon.

It was hard not to. Junmyeon was soft and warm. He was kind, lovable, and Chanyeol had to admit the man was handsome.

“I’ll go get started on breakfast,” he called out, leaving the bathroom and closing the door behind him. He tiptoed back to the bedroom to throw on a pair of sweatpants to keep from walking around naked. He didn’t know when the two younger hybrids would be waking up or bounding through the house like they did yesterday morning.

It was a good thing then that Chanyeol was fully clothed.

As he listened to the different sounds through the house, the shower, the snoring, the sizzling of the bacon, he entertained the idea of sharing Junmyeon with Kris. Junmyeon was his, first and foremost, but he was all the more welcoming to let Kris in, finding the wolf hybrid attractive too.

Kris was a little bony right now, but that was due to the lack of resources with food, but Chanyeol knew that he could get some extra meat on his bones if he stuck around with Chanyeol’s cooking.

Junmyeon’s questioning of him feeling jealous was wrong. His body might be acting that way with the way it wanted to lay claims to _his_ human, but he wasn’t jealous.


	5. Part 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mentions of noncon/rape.

“Are you sure we won’t get caught?” Kris asked again as they turned the corner of the street, they weren’t very far from Junmyeon’s apartment but the more they walked, the more anxious Kris felt. Especially after being told about the laws prohibiting hybrids from being outside without a leash or their owner.

He was concerned with them getting into trouble, and, surprisingly, about Junmyeon too.

Chanyeol shook his head, his hoodie up and covering his ears that blended in the color of his hair. Kris had a beanie on that covered his own, their tails were tucked down on pants leg, and barely visible. Baekhyun and Kyungsoo were the only two that weren’t hiding what they were, but they were wearing the collars that Junmyeon picked up for them from the marketplace yesterday. Kris picked out the colors for them, a green one and blue one. To anyone else that they passed by, it just looked like two people taking their toddler hybrids out for a walk.

Chanyeol nodded, humored by the question more than cautious, “Yes, I’ve walked down this street countless times to Kai’s music shop. If I see anyone I recognize, they’ll just think I have a friend with me now. And we’re letting our hybrids get exercise.” He motioned towards Kyungsoo by his side as they held hands as they walked.

“And your friend, Kai? He won’t rat us out?” Kris questioned, hand in Baekhyun’s and keeping the rabbit hybrid close to his side when they passed by other people.

Chanyeol shook his head, “Nope. Like I said, I’ve done this countless times. Even Junmyeon knows I visit Kai’s music shope when he’s at work.”

Kris shrugged, “I never know with humans. They’re all unreadable.”

Chanyeol nudged at Kris with his elbow, “I bet Junmyeon is pretty readable to you. You can probably tell what he’s thinking just by the expression on his face.”

“I don’t look at his face that closely to tell,” Kris muttered, “He’s still human though, and I don’t trust humans.”

“Not even the one that’s helping you?” Chanyeol cocked an eyebrow upwards at the wolf. “You’re a tough nut to crack, aren’t you?”

Kris opened his mouth to reply but stopped when Chanyeol stopped walking, eyes lit up at the shop they’d come up to. The letters on the front of the building said Music Shop.

“This is it?” He looked through the tall windows at the front of the building, seeing racks and aisles of nothing but CDs, cassettes, and even old records. On the other side of the store was all the musical instruments. Drum sets, guitars, a few keyboards, and even brass instruments.

“This is it,” Chanyeol confirmed, opening the door and stepping back to let Kris and Baekhyun in, Kyungsoo pulling Chanyeol in afterwards.

The black haired boy behind the counter perked up at the sight of them entering, his eyes finding Chanyeol and widening, “Chanyeol! I wondered when you were going to come visit me again. And you’ve brought friends!” He walked out from around the counter with his arms outstretched for a hug from Chanyeol.

“I did,” Chanyeol returned the hug, glancing around to see the place vacant of customers. “Junmyeon found three strays and decided to bring them home. I’m taking care of them while he’s at work.”

Kris frowned at that, but looked over the human named Kai. He was taller than Junmyeon, a bit darker skin that looked golden, he had plush lips, and dark eyes. He could’ve been on the cover of one of the magazines that he’d seen at some of the stands. He was handsome, very handsome. For a human.

“This is Kris, he’s a wolf hybrid, and these two beautiful babies are Kyungsoo and Baekhyun,” Chanyeol pointed at each one of them.

Kai bent down, smiling at the two younger ones, “Hi cuties, want to play with some of the instruments? I have a few on display for customers to try out.”

Baekhyun perked up at that, ears twitching while Kyungsoo looked up at Kris and Chanyeol, almost for reassurance. Something that Chanyeol was already giving him. Kai led the two over to one of the keyboards and pulled up a bench for them to sit at, playing with the keys and making the keys take on different tones with a few switches.

As the two little ones banged on the keyboard, filling the music shop with off-key tunes and random notes, Kai retreated back to his counter. Chanyeol stepped behind it, finding the chair that he always sat in, the red bean bag chair, and motioning for Kris to join them.

“So how’s Sehun treating you?” Chanyeol asked, watching the two hybrids playing on the keyboard before turning back to Kai.

“He’s good, we’ve been on ten dates by now. I think the last date, he was going to invite me up to his apartment but he had a big case he was working on,” Kai pouted, “He’s always so busy, I’m lucky if he even remembers to call me.”

Chanyeol shrugged, “He’s a lawyer though, you knew he’d be busy most the time before you accepted his proposal to date.”

“True, but I still want to see him,” Kai hummed, “And at least to get laid every now and then. I feel like we’ve made it to that part of our relationship now.”

“It’ll get there, you’ve already had the makeout session on the last five dates in his car,” Chanyeol stated confidently. “I’m just glad he’s working hard, maybe there’ll be some progress in our rights if he keeps working hard.”

Kris had felt slightly out of place at first with the conversation between the two, almost wishing he had taken a seat by Kyungsoo on the bench and listened to their keyboard smashing. But that statement had his ears perking up under the beanie.

Kai nodded, “That’s the one good thing about it. It’s too much to hope for much more, but he is fighting to have you guys, at least, be able to walk down the street without a leash. It’s not like you’re full-blown animals, incapable of making choices. Hell, you can even read street signs, you’re not hopeless.”

Chanyeol was about to respond but Kris chimed in without really thinking, “I can’t read street signs…”

Chanyeol and Kai looked at him, surprised. Kai spoke up, “Like the ones with words or pictures? Hell, some of the picture ones, even I couldn’t comprehend what they mean. I mean, a solid triangle, the fuck is that supposed to mean?” Kris’s eyes widened at the swear word, but it didn’t look like Kai was angry, just expressing frustration over the sign he was talking about.

Kris cleared his throat, “Um, both of them? I never learned how to read… we weren’t taught at the shelter. And my previous owner never thought it was necessary for me to be able to read.”

“Oh wow, you’re a shelter hybrid?” Kai asked.

Kris nodded, hesitantly, “I am. I was born in a shelter, then sold to traffickers, and then auctioned off to a horrible man.”

Kai’s eyes widened, “How’d you get away? Don’t tell me those two were with you too?” His thumb pointed back at the two younger hybrids. Baekhyun was now singing gibberish to the key smashes that Kyungsoo kept hitting.

Kris shook his head, “No, they weren’t with me. I was sold to the traffickers when I was a teenager. I found Baekhyun and Kyungsoo in an alleyway, someone had stuffed them in a gym bag and left them out by one of the dumpsters. I heard crying and that’s what led me to them. I’ve cared for them… well, tried to care for them ever since.”

Chanyeol’s heart clenched at that, he looked over at the two, eyes slightly wet. To just imagine someone doing that to the precious little ones made him want to cry and find whoever did that to them. They were just innocent little babies. He was glad that Kris had found them, and while it hadn’t been much, he still loved and cared for them. Which was obviously more than whoever dumped them had done.

Kai shook his head, swearing again, “Humans suck big time. Who could do something like that to something so innocent?” He shook his head, “Okay, my getting-laid plans can totally take a back burner since I heard that. I hope Sehunnie works his ass off to get those laws passed. It’d be so much better for your kind when he does.”

Kris was curious about that, what laws exactly was this Sehun trying to get passed other than the one where they can walk down the sidewalk without their owner?

“Junmyeon can help you with learning how to read though,” Chanyeol piped up, catching Kris’s attention. “He taught me how to, I can give you some of my starter books and he can bring more home from work. He teaches kindergartners how to read all the time.”

“Oh yeah, that’s one good thing about Junmyeon finding you then. You’ll be able to learn how to read now, he’s great with that kind of stuff, has a lot of patience.” Kai nodded. “Kris, would you mind talking to Sehun about some of your experiences with the shelters and traffickers? I think it could help him with some of his cases.”

Kris’s eyes widened slightly, a bit hesitant at replying, he didn’t know this Sehun. He was also another human, and while he sounded like someone that would help hybrids like Kris, he still didn’t know him.

“Kris is a bit shy though, Kai, he’s just getting warmed up to you now, and because I’m here,” Chanyeol reached over and slipped his hand into Kris’s, catching the wolf off-guard but did help ease his nerves too. “He’s also still skeptical about humans. Give him some time and he might want to at a later time.”

Kai looked at their hands then flashed a smile to Chanyeol and Kris, “Oh, no worries. That’s totally fine too. After a life like you’ve had and what you’ve encounter, I wouldn’t doubt humans don’t sound that appealing to you, huh?”

Kris breathed a small laugh, “Yeah, they’re not my favorite right now. No offense,” he thought he should add because Kai was a human. A bit odd one as he was finding out, but still human. A bit likable too.

“None taken,” Kai grinned.

The three of them conversed for almost two hours over different subjects, the more that Kris talked, the more that Chanyeol learned about him. He felt sorry for what the hybrid had gone through with, much of it reminding him of his previous owner too. Although Chanyeol didn’t have it as bad as Kris, at least, in the beginning, when his owner’s girlfriend was still around. After she left, that’s when his owner changed and started doing things that Chanyeol didn’t care to talk about.

Much like how Kris was treated by his previous owner.

He’d learned that Kris had been forced into sex countless times by his previous owner, beat until he complied or acted like he was into it. He’d had a few broken limbs thanks to his previous owner. And was even shared from time to time with the man’s friends and business partners.

It was sheer luck that Kris was able to escape him. All thanks to one of the servants taking pity on him and allowing him a window to make his run. He never even learned the name of the servant, but would always be grateful to them.

Later on as the two walked back to the apartment, their arms full of two sleeping hybrids, Chanyeol looked over at Kris. The wolf hybrid was a few steps ahead of Chanyeol, and hadn’t taken notice to the dog’s staring. But Chanyeol looked over the wolf’s face, looked over his stature, and despite the things he revealed about himself, Chanyeol could see the brave individual that walked ahead of him.

It was stories like Kris’s that made Kai’s boyfriend, Sehun, fight so hard for fair treatment of hybrids. Chanyeol knew that the lawyer would have an uphill battle every turn of the way, but from the way that Kai talked and from what Sehun spoke of the times that he met Chanyeol, the man wasn’t giving up until he made progress.

The way that Chanyeol was treated was bad, but he couldn’t imagine how it must’ve felt to be in Kris’s shoes. He probably felt so hopeless countless amounts of times. But here the wolf was, still cautious, but free from the confinements of that man.

“I’m glad we found you,” Chanyeol found himself murmuring, absentmindedly.

Something that Kris heard him say, he turned back to Chanyeol, taken back by the way that the dog hybrid was looking at him, but it caused his heart to flutter nonetheless. “What? Why are you looking at me like that?”

Chanyeol shook his head, clearing his throat as he stepped up to Kris, “I’m just glad we found you the other day. It’s more than obvious that you’ve been trying so hard, for yourself, for the babies, for everything. To come from what you escaped from and be where you’re at now, I’m glad we found you. To help you on the way.”

Kris’s eyes widened, he wasn’t sure what to say at first, but shook his head, “If you’re pitying me because of what I said earlier, you don’t have to-”

Chanyeol scowled, bumping into Kris with his shoulder, careful not to joist Kyungsoo into waking, “I’m amazed by you, not pitying you. To go through all that and you’re still making it every day. I’m just amazed.”

Kris scoffed, turning back to the street ahead, mostly to hide his red-tinted cheeks now, “I’m not really making it if I have to rely on help now, am I?”

“It takes more guts to ask for help than to weather it alone, Kris,” Chanyeol reminded him, catching up and falling into step with the wolf. “You don’t have to do it alone now anymore either. You have me, you have Junmyeon, and you’ve even got Kai now. You’re not alone in this. Not anymore.”

Kris didn’t say anything to that, just kept walking ahead, his face was flushed now, and his eyes a little wet, but he didn’t trust his voice to say anything without coming out as a whimper. Something that Chanyeol noticed, and decided to keep quiet about. His own throat was tight too, the emotions coming off of Kris were more than enough to know what the wolf felt.

It was quiet between them the rest of the way to Junmyeon’s apartment. Once they got in, they took the two babies into the second bedroom and let them continue their nap out on the bed. Chanyeol shed off his hoodie as he made his way back into the living room, Kris following suit.

He glanced at the clock on the wall, “Junmyeon will be home soon. He gets off at three, but the bus ride and walk home will take him another thirty minutes.”

“Bus ride? He doesn’t have a car?” Kris asked, but then he caught himself, he didn’t recall seeing a car outside when they first came to the apartment.

Chanyeol shook his head, “Nope, he’s never found a use for one is what he told me. I mean, everything is convenient enough to be within walking distance that he said a car wasn’t needed.” He shrugged, thinking back to the events that happened that morning, “Although sometimes I wish he would get a car. I don’t like him walking that far every day.”

“He doesn’t mind spending a lot of money at the marketplace but he won’t buy himself a car?”

Chanyeol shrugged again, “He said it wasn’t a necessity.” He walked into the kitchen, Kris following after him, “I’m going to start on dinner. Do you want anything specific for dinner?”

Kris shook his head, “I’m fine with whatever you make.” He looked around, “Is there anything I can help with though?”

“Do you know how to make rice?” He pointed towards the rice cooker on the counter by the fridge. At Kris’s negative, Chanyeol showed him how. Starting with rinsing the rice in the strainer in the sink, and then pushing the right settings on the rice cooker. “I guess I’ll make some chicken tonight. Chicken and veggie pancakes.”

Kris watched Chanyeol as he prepared the ingredients for the meal, glancing back and forth between the dog hybrid and the rice cooker, to see when the cooker would be done.

“Yours and Junmyeon’s relationship isn’t a normal relationship between pet and owner, is it?” Kris asked, the question just popped up, and he could tell it caught Chanyeol off guard, but he didn’t seem offended by it.

Chanyeol chuckled softly, “What gave it away?”

Kris hesitated at what he wanted to say, but decided to be honest, “Yesterday morning. He smelled like you. It was faint but you were on him…”

“Oh, that,” Chanyeol hummed. “I’m not sure why, but the last two nights, I’ve had, what humans call, a wet dream, I guess? And it resulted in us two having intercourse, yes. It’s usually like that only when I’m in a rut or on the way to being in a rut. I’m not sure why I had those dreams the last two nights.”

Kris looked slightly uncomfortable at that, and avoided Chanyeol’s eyes when he turned to look back at the rice cooker, “But… it’s different? It’s not just physical… I’ve heard you two say that you love one another before going to sleep.”

Chanyeol shrugged, noticing Kris’s avoidance of looking at him, he flipped the veggie pancake in the pan, “We love each other, Kris. Just like humans love one another.”

“But isn’t that kind of relationship frowned upon?” Kris looked up to see Chanyeol nod, a saddened look on his face when he nodded. “One of the couples that used to frequent my previous owner’s home were a human and hybrid couple. My owner sneered at it countless times, but the human didn’t seem to mind. Saying that he loved the hybrid.”

“Not a lot of people are open to the idea… but like we talked about at Kai’s music shop, we’re still half-human, just with a little extras,” Chanyeol grinned. “It really wasn’t much of a change for Junmyeon either, he’s attracted to men anyway, and that’s still frowned upon in society too.”

Kris chuckled humorlessly, shaking his head, “He’s just damned all the way around with his relationships then.”

“Would seem like it,” Chanyeol agreed, and it was quiet except for the sizzling in the frying pan, “Did you think that mine and Junmyeon’s relationship was like yours and your previous owner?”

“At first… I couldn’t be sure. I knew that one couple, and the hybrid looked like they were happy in it. But from what had been drilled into my head throughout the shelter, auction, and then by my last master, I was there for their use and nothing else. I wasn’t an equal… not like how you seem to be with Junmyeon.” He shrugged, “The way you acted when I first met you, I thought that maybe it was a threat that Junmyeon gave you to make you seem happier than you were. Maybe he was a different person behind closed doors. Maybe he was going to hurt us once we got back here, and maybe he was going to wait out until Baekhyun and Kyungsoo were old enough to hurt them. There was a lot of thoughts that ran through my head, and I had to be cautious. I have to be cautious, I don’t want to get hurt again, and I don’t want either of those babies to be hurt like I have been either.”

By the time he had finished, he didn’t notice that Chanyeol had cut off the heat to the stove, focus solely on Kris now. He also didn’t notice that his eyes were wet with unshed tears. The dog hybrid stepped away from the stove and reached out to Kris, and surprisingly, the wolf didn’t shy away from the outstretched arms.

He welcomed the embrace, not wanting to cry, but the tears fell as soon as he felt those warm arms around him.

“I’m so sorry, Kris, for all the things you had to go through. I can understand how scared you must’ve been, and how scared you still are, so unsure about anything going on right now,” Chanyeol held him close, his hand on Kris’s back rubbed soothing circles while the other cradled Kris’s head against his shoulder. “It’ll take time to fully trust me and Junmyeon, but I hope you come to realize that all we want to do is help you.” He was quiet for a moment, listening to Kris’s sniffling, mumbling softly, “Maybe even love you too.”

Kris’s hands clutched to Chanyeol’s shirt, he listened to Chanyeol’s soothing words, and they helped ease the tension in his body. He didn’t know that he was tensing so hard against the hybrid, but as Chanyeol’s hand rubbed soft circles against his back, the slight thumbing of his head, and that deep voice, it calmed him.

They stayed still in each other’s embrace for several moments, the only sounds were Kris’s sniffling and Chanyeol’s soft assurances. The beeping of the rice cooker was what interrupted them. Kris didn’t want to pull away from Chanyeol, and Chanyeol took a little longer to let go of Kris, before walking over and switching off the cooker.

Kris cleared his throat, wiping at his eyes on his sleeve, “I’m sorry… for crying like that.”

Chanyeol shook his head, stepping back up to Kris, and pulling away his hand from his eyes gently, “Don’t be. It’s more than obvious that you’ve been holding this in for a long time, you’ve been strong for long enough. It’s okay to let it all out.” His other hand came up to Kris’s cheek, thumbing away the tear streaks, his own eyes glistening, “You’re not alone anymore, Kris. I’m here, Junmyeon’s here,” he paused, glancing at the clock and chuckling softly, “well, will be shortly.” It was almost time for him to get off work. “But we’re here for you. All three of you.”

After Junmyeon came home, Chanyeol noticed the change in Kris. Especially around Junmyeon. It seemed like the crying earlier did the wolf hybrid some good. He wasn’t as harsh or snarky towards Junmyeon, he didn’t seem as tense either. He wasn’t walking on eggshells anymore around them. It almost seemed as if he had found some peace, and while Chanyeol could see that it confused Junmyeon, he would explain it to his owner later on. After they retired to bed.

“Kris seemed to be a better mood today,” Junmyeon commented as they got ready for bed. He was shedding off his work clothes for another pair of pajamas and one of his t-shirts.

Chanyeol was stripping down to his boxers, “He had quite a day today. But I think he’ll be alright now.”

As the two settled into the bed, blankets pulled up, and arms and legs tangled, Chanyeol retold the events that happened that day. He knew that Kris trusted him with those small details about himself and Chanyeol trusted Junmyeon to confide in him about them. Junmyeon wouldn’t mistreat those details either.

“I can pick up some of the extra beginners books tomorrow and bring them home. Have you still got some of yours? I know it’s been a few years since you’ve learned how to read.”

Chanyeol hummed, “I think I do. Remember some of them, I gave back to you for the new kids that come every year. But I’ll look in my closet tomorrow and see if I can find some that he can look over until you come back home.”

Junmyeon nodded, cuddling up to Chanyeol, “I still feel so bad for the way that my kind has done yours. And it’s still a battle just for you to have basic rights.”

Chanyeol held Junmyeon to him, hand running through the strands of that black hair, “You’re not at fault, Myeonie, you’ve been more than kind to me, and to all of my kind. Sehun is still fighting for us too, and I think he’ll win. Or at least, die trying.”

“He’s a good man, Kai should keep hold to him, even if he can’t get laid like he wants,” Junmyeon laughed softly.

"Speaking of getting laid, are you okay?” Chanyeol asked, glancing down at the mop of black hair where Junmyeon’s head laid on his shoulder.

Junmyeon hummed, “Mhm, it was just a dull ache for most of the day. I took two painkillers after I got to work.”

“Okay,” Chanyeol’s hand went back to running through Junmyeon’s hair. “I love you, Myeonie.”

“I love you too, Chanyeol.”

\--

_Kris’s cheek stung as the sound of the slap resonated throughout the room, his gaze quickly becoming watery as the pain blossomed. He heard his master’s voice in his ears, telling him that he’d better stay still and obey him. He looked back up when he felt his hands being pulled up above his head, that old familiar metal encircling around his wrists as they were attached to the hook at the headboard of the bed. He knew what was coming._

_He looked up at his master, wanting to cry and weep, beg him not to hurt him again, but he knew that would just result in more hits_ _and pain. He could see the anger on his master’s face already after he was slapped. He knew that his rebellion always angered his master, but he didn’t want this. He didn’t want to be hurt again. And his master always made it hurt._

_Those lips curled into a wicked smirk, “You’re going to be a good wolf for me, aren’t you? Hmmm?” He felt those hands start to rip open Kris’s shirt, the underwear he’d been given was quickly disposed of. He shivered in fear when he felt those hands on his skin. Hard and groping everywhere._

_It made Kris’s stomach churn in disgust._

_Just as his legs were open and out of the way, Kris couldn’t help the whimper that escaped his lips, a plea falling from his lips, “Please, m-master, not again! I-I’ll be good, I’ll be good! I’ll be good, I promise!”_

Kyungsoo woke up beside Kris, the sound of the whimpering coming from the wolf was something he’d only heard a few times when the wolf slept. Baekhyun always slept so soundly that it never bothered him, but Kyungsoo was sleeping right next to Kris and he was awoken by it. The jerky movements also jostled him.

He looked up to see tears running down Kris’s cheeks, his eyes were closed, he was trembling. He tried shaking him awake, calling his name, but it just made the wolf tremble more, whimpers and cries falling from his lips. Baekhyun woke up then, his sleep-ridden mind quickly sobered up when he heard the whimpers.

“Hyung won’t wake up,” Kyungsoo turned to Baekhyun, eyes watering too. “He’s having a bad dream again.”

“Try again, I’m going to get Junmyeon and Chanyeol,” Baekhyun quickly hopped off the bed, running out of the room to get the other two.

Kyungsoo shook Kris again, whimpering when Kris cried more, “Wake up, hyung! It’s just a nightmare!” He kept shaking him until finally Kris’s eyes opened, darting around at his surroundings, breathing rapid. His eyes widened when they fell on Kyungsoo.

It was only Kyungsoo right there beside him, looking scared and worried. His master was nowhere in sight. It took him a moment but he finally realized that he wasn’t in that old bedroom either. He was in Chanyeol’s, he was safe in Chanyeol’s bedroom, he was safe in Junmyeon’s apartment. His master couldn’t get him in here.

His mind slowly started to ease, especially when Kyungsoo wrapped his arms around him, “Hyung, you were having a nightmare again.”

It took Kris a moment to reply, catching his breath as he held Kyungsoo, “I’m sorry… I didn’t mean to wake you.”

“Kris, you okay…” Junmyeon’s words trailed off as they entered the bedroom door, Baekhyun in lead, looking worried like Kyungsoo did. Seeing Kris awake, Baekhyun wasted no time in climbing back up on the bed, and clinging to him like Kyungsoo was, “Are you okay? Baekhyun said you were crying in your sleep.”

Kris still looked spooked but was slowly calming down, Junmyeon and Chanyeol came into the room, Chanyeol finding a spot on the bed beside Kris, reaching over to comfort him too. Junmyeon hesitated, but when it looked like Kris wasn’t going to bite his head off, he took a spot on the other side of Kris.

“I’m okay… just a bad dream… I’m not sure why I dreamt of him again. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you all,” Kris mumbled, the dream was still fresh in his mind. Still made him on edge, but the small arms surrounding him and Chanyeol’s hand rubbing circles on his shoulder again was helping to remind him that he wasn’t back in that bedroom.

“It’s okay, Kris, we can’t control what we dream about,” Junmyeon said softly, he hesitated but his hand came up to find Kris’s dark hair, brushing his fingers through it like how Chanyeol did to his. The wolf closed his eyes, leaning into the touch. “Do you want to talk about it?”

“Usually talking about bad dreams can help relieve some of the pain that they cause,” Chanyeol chimed in, but seeing the way that Kris’s face paled, he knew it must’ve been too horrible of a dream to want to recall. He glanced down at the pair of listening ears of the little ones. “Or maybe another time?”

Kris shook his head, glancing between the two, “I… I don’t want to talk about it. He’s not here… that’s all the relief I need.”

Chanyeol and Junmyeon glanced at one another, they had a good idea of what that bad dream was about. It just made Chanyeol scoot closer, and cautiously, Junmyeon did too, still comforting the wolf.

“You’re safe here, Kris, that man can’t hurt you here. I promise,” Junmyeon stated, and when Kris turned his watery gaze to Junmyeon, the man swallowed down the lump in his throat, trying to lighten the mood, a wobbly smile crossed his lips, “I might not look like it, but I can fight him off.”

Kris couldn’t stop himself from giving the man a wary once-over, a teasing smile trying to cross his lips.

“Trust me, Kris, he’s got the abs to back it up,” Chanyeol added with a wink. “Then throw in me too? That man will never hurt you again.”

“Yeah, hyung, we’ll protect you,” Baekhyun chimed in, looking up at Kris from his lap, putting up a fist, “I’ve seen people fight on TV, I can do that!”

Junmyeon laughed softly, “I don’t think you should’ve been watching those shows, Baekhyun.”

Baekhyun whined, “But now I know how to hit someone’s face! And it always works on TV, they fall down!”

Kris chuckled, “That’s good, but you should only do that in self-defense, Baekhyun.” He pecked the top of Baekhyun’s head as the little tike curled into him, then pecked Kyungsoo’s head. “I’m still sorry about waking you guys.”

“It’s okay, Kris, we’re here for you if you need us,” Chanyeol replied, scooting closer to the wolf and wrapping his arm around the wolf. Junmyeon followed suit, and was surprised when Kris’s head leaned against Chanyeol’s shoulder.


	6. Part 6

The distant sound of Junmyeon’s alarm had the man stirring awake, he wondered why it sounded so distant when he was sure that it was on the bedside table to his right. Before he opened his eyes, he noticed a heavy weight on him and that he felt a little bit more warmer than he usually was when he woke up. When he opened his eyes, he saw a mop of brown hair on his chest, two bunny ears twitching every so often as a soft snore filled his ears. Baekhyun was sleeping on his chest.

He looked to his side and was surprised when he saw Kris’s head on the pillow beside him. He carefully rose up, trying to keep from waking Baekhyun up, and saw Kyungsoo tucked between Chanyeol and Kris, halfway on Kris’s chest as he slept. Kris’s head was tucked under Chanyeol’s, Chanyeol’s arm was thrown over Kyungsoo and Kris, his leg tangled with the wolf’s, much like how Chanyeol slept with him.

He smiled softly, moving quietly and carefully as he lied Baekhyun down beside Kris, pulling the blanket up. He leaned down and kissed the bunny’s forehead. Quietly he moved out of the room, glancing back at the bed where the four hybrids still slept soundly.

Making his way to his bedroom, he quickly shut off the alarm before it could wake Chanyeol. He wanted the dog hybrid to sleep in, he could see himself on the way to work. He threw on some clothes and grabbed his briefcase, heading to the kitchen where he grabbed his lunch from the leftovers from dinner last night. He grabbed an apple and headed out the door. He could get his coffee in the teacher’s lounge at the school.

When he stepped outside the apartment, he was surprised to see his neighbor outside. The man was smoking a cigarette, a cup of coffee in his hand.

“Hey, neighbor,” he greeted with a small wave when he saw Junmyeon come out.

Junmyeon bowed, “Hello, Mr. Park.”

He was about to continue on down the sidewalk but Mr. Park spoke again, “I noticed that you have another hybrid staying with you. Sunday… when you came back from the marketplace.” Junmyeon nodded, and was about to reply, but he continued, “I guess you got tired of that mutt then?”

“I still have Chanyeol… the other hybrid is a stray that I found… he’s staying with us for now.”

Mr. Park hummed, “I guess you got your hands full then. You can switch it up every night now.”

Junmyeon didn’t fully understand that statement, he brushed it off, “I guess so, I’ll talk to you later, I can’t be late to work.”

Mr. Park waved him off, “Go ahead, have a good day.”

Junmyeon bowed again, and continued down the sidewalk. He glanced back at him to see him still smoking his cigarette, he was still looking after Junmyeon. The whole exchange was odd, in most of the time that he lived beside the man, the only real time they talked was when he took in Chanyeol.

He shook it off and continued onto the bus stop. He noticed the dark clouds moving in overhead, it looked like it was going to rain.

\--

The first thing that Kris noticed when he woke up was the limbs that were around him, there was a light weight on top of him, and an arm and a leg was thrown over him. A loud and deep snoring filled his ears, and when he opened his eyes, he realized who it was and why it was in his ears. His face was buried in Chanyeol’s neck, the dog hybrid’s nose and mouth were buried in Kris’s hair as the hybrid clung to him in his sleep.

Kyungsoo was sleeping on top of him and Baekhyun was curled up beside him, both of them were still asleep. At first he was confused as to why Chanyeol was sleeping with them, until the events from last night flooded his mind.

He couldn’t detect Junmyeon’s scent in the room, only faint traces of it, so he wasn’t in the bed with them. He wondered where the human went. But then it dawned on him that he probably left for work. He felt bad because Chanyeol was usually up with Junmyeon when he left, having cooked breakfast, but it didn’t look like the hybrid had moved from his spot of clinging to Kris the whole night.

Glancing at the windows in the room, he could see that it was already daylight outside, but it was clouded.

As he lied there, he listened to the noises throughout the house, everything was so quiet except for Chanyeol and Baekhyun’s snoring. He closed his eyes, thinking of everything that happened yesterday. He hadn’t had a bad dream about that man in awhile, but he figured that after talking about how he was treated to Kai and Chanyeol yesterday must’ve reopened the wound.

He didn’t believe that the man was out trying to find him, the man had more than enough money to buy another hybrid and replace Kris’s spot with them. He pitied whoever was substituting him. He wouldn’t wish that life on anyone.

But it did leave him in a comfort to know that Chanyeol and Junmyeon would protect him, he didn’t believe Chanyeol’s words about Junmyeon being able to fight anyone, the man was small, tiny, he barely came up to Chanyeol and Kris’s shoulder. But if Junmyeon said he would protect him, then he would just have to trust that. Maybe he trusted it a little more when you threw Chanyeol in the mix. The dog looked like he’d have a mean bite.

The soft groan from Chanyeol caused Kris to snap out of his thoughts, he figured the dog hybrid was waking up, but he just nuzzled into Kris’s hair more, and then started to mouth at Kris’s ear. It tickled, and Kris realized it wasn’t in a funny way. He shivered when Chanyeol’s mouth started sucking slightly at the tip of his ear.

He pulled away from the hybrid, nudging at Chanyeol with his elbow. The small nudge had the dog’s eyes snapping open.

The scent filling his nose wasn’t Junmyeon’s, Chanyeol noticed, quickly moving up in the bed and looking down to see Kris looking up at him. A slight blush on his cheeks. Chanyeol’s eyes widened, looking over the bed, confusion clear across his face at the sight.

“Wha…”

“Good morning,” Kris said softly, cutting off Chanyeol, and he chuckled softly at the display of emotions ranging across the dog’s face. He reached up to pat Chanyeol’s face, “And you said Junmyeon was an open book when it came to expressions.”

Chanyeol’s eyes widened, “Oh shit, Junmyeon-”

“Has already left for work, I believe. I didn’t hear any other movements throughout the apartment, nor his snoring.”

“Oh…” Chanyeol mumbled, “I didn’t get to make him breakfast.”

Kris patted his cheek again, “I’m sure he managed. I mean, this can’t be the first time that you didn’t make breakfast for him, yeah?”

Chanyeol’s hand covered Kris’s, “Yeah… but that’s only when I oversleep or exhausted from a rut. I like making him breakfast though.”

Kris shrugged, “There’s always tomorrow morning.” Then his voice dropped, “Maybe I won’t wake you two up like last night.”

Chaneyol lied back down, keeping Kris’s hand in his hand, “Are you sure you’re okay, Kris? Do you want to talk about the dream? Baekhyun and Kyungsoo are still asleep right now if you didn’t want them listening.”

Kris’s hand squeezed Chanyeol’s softly, his gaze falling to their hands, “It… it was more like a memory than a bad dream really… just… just what he used to do to me.” Chanyeol’s thumb ran across Kris’s knuckles gently. He took a shuddering breath, “He was hitting me... he always hit me before... before he did anything. I always asked him to not to do that to me, not to… touch me like that. And he always hit me for begging him not to hurt me.” Kris’s lip wobbled, eyes turned glassy when he looked back at Chanyeol, and the dog hybrid’s heart clenched in his throat.

He brought their joined hands up to his lips and kissed Kris’s hand, murmuring, “It’s okay, Kris.”

Kris squeezed his gently again, voice shaking, “H-He cuffed me to the bed… and was about to… to s-start hurting me when Kyungsoo woke me up.”

Chanyeol moved closer to Kris when he heard the sniffle from the wolf, hand letting go of Kris’s to hold him close. He had to be careful since Kyungsoo was still half on top of Kris, but he held him as Kris quietly cried into his chest again. All the while, he murmured quiet reassurances to the wolf.

“He won’t ever do that to you again, Kris, you’re safe here,” Chanyeol murmured, pressing kisses to the top of Kris’s head. “You’re safe, it’s okay.”

The two lied there in each other’s embrace until Kris’s sniffles finally stopped, they were almost about to fall back asleep when Baekhyun woke up. The rabbit shook Chanyeol, saying that his belly was growling. Kyungsoo soon followed suit, having been woken by Baekhyun crawling over him to get to Chanyeol.

“I’ll go get breakfast started then,” Chanyeol smiled, up and out of bed with the two little ones following after him into the kitchen. Kris followed after them until stopping by the bathroom to take care of a heavy bladder.

Chanyeol started on some eggs and making the batter for pancakes after Baekhyun chimed in that he wanted some more pancakes. Kyungsoo pulled up the step-stool to the counter where he followed Chanyeol’s instructions on how to make the pancake batter. The little cat impressed Chanyeol with the right measurements and the small little things he showed him before when they made pancakes the other morning.

“Wow, Kyungsoo, you’re really good at this,” Chanyeol complimented, watching as the cat stirred the batter.

Baekhyun got up from his seat and came over to try and watch Kyungsoo too, “It looks like a lot of work to cook.”

Chanyeol shrugged, picking up Baekhyun and settling him on his hip as he scrambled the eggs in the pan, “It’s not that much work when you’re used to doing it. You don’t want to try to cook, Baekhyun?”

Baekhyun looked down at the yellow liquid in the frying pan, he made a face, and shook his head, “It looks nasty right now though.”

“It does now, but soon it’ll be nice and fluffy scrambled eggs,” Chanyeol reminded him. He nodded over at the pancake batter, “Just like that, it looks like a blob of mess, but it’ll be yummy pancakes after it cooks.”

Baekhyun shook his head, “I’ll just stick to eating it, you said that Junmyeon sucked at cooking, I can suck at cooking too.”

Chanyeol laughed at that, setting Baekhyun back down as the little tike ran over to the fridge to get himself a juice out, “I guess me and Kyungsoo will be the chefs in the house then.”

Kris entered the kitchen, and made an almost bee-line over to the coffee maker. After the cup was filled, and he added his sugar and creamer, he almost moaned over the aroma coming off the cup.

Chanyeol shook his head, “I don’t see how you and Junmyeon can drink that stuff. It’s so bitter, bleh.”

Kris looked up from his cup after he took a seat at the table, “It’s good, you can make it sweeter than what it is, you know.”

“Ew no. Junmyeon let me try his and it was nasty. He poured me a cup and gave me the sugar and creamer but no matter how much I added, it was still gross.”

Baekhyun eyed the cup, “I wanna try it! Can I try yours, Kris?”

Kris slid the cup over to Baekhyun, cautioning, “Sip it, Baekhyun, it’s still hot.”

Baekhyun sniffed the cup, it did smell sweet, so he could understand why Kris was so happy after smelling the aroma, but when he took a sip, he stuck his tongue out, “Ew, that is gross, hyung.” He slid the cup back towards Kris. “Chanyeol was right, that stuff is nasty.”

“Nasty for you, a godsend for me,” Kris shrugged, taking a sip of it. His toes curling slightly as he drank.

“You and Junmyeon can have all the coffee you want, I think us three are good,” Chanyeol laughed.

Once breakfast was finished cooking, Baekhyun and Kyungsoo took their plates into the living room and sat down at the coffee table to eat while watching cartoons on TV. They were occupied for the time being, tummies slowly filling and their minds focused on the colorful moving pictures.

Chanyeol and Kris sat at the kitchen table and ate, keeping an eye on the two little ones.

“After what you told us yesterday at Kai’s music shop and then from the nightmare, I can understand why you’re so wary of humans, Kris,” Chanyeol softly spoke, not wanting to draw the two little one’s attention.

Kris glanced at him as he chewed, “How was your owner before Junmyeon?”

Chanyeol sighed softly, gaze dropping to his plate, “He wasn’t that bad at first, I was supposed to belong to his girlfriend actually, she got me as a Christmas gift one year, I was still just a pup. She was good to me, doted on me all the time, and treated me like her child for the most part, but I grew up, fast. She stopped acknowledging me shortly after I hit a growth spurt, kind of ignored me for the most part.

“Then her and my owner broke up, something about her cheating on him, I didn’t catch much from trying to block out the arguing. They did that a lot before she packed her bags and left him, and left me with him. He ignored me mostly after she left, just fed me, left me out on the porch at night and when he went to work. That’s how Junmyeon saw me. He slipped me some extra food from time to time, and tried to give me some blankets or a coat to wear to keep warm on most nights. But my owner would see it the next morning and throw it in the trash.” Chanyeol then took a shuddering breath, and continued, voice a little softer.

“It wasn’t long after his girlfriend left that he kept saying that he was lonely, needed someone. I didn’t understand him at first, but then one night, he got drunk and started hitting me. I had a bruised face for a long time after that, but he didn’t stop there. He drug me to his bedroom where he used the leash that he tied me out on the porch with… and tied me to the bed with it…” he stopped, then looked up at Kris, he looked pained but there were no tears in his eyes. “I’m sure you know what happened then.”

Kris’s eyes were watery as he nodded, “I’m sorry, Chanyeol.”

He shook his head, “I’m okay now,” a weary smile crossed his lips, “It’s been so long ago now, it doesn’t hurt me as much. I’m just glad that Junmyeon saved me from him. It was so weird, he just saw me crying on the porch one night after my owner had beat and raped me, and then he just helped me up, brought me in here, treated my wounds, and helped me heal, _inside and out_. My owner didn’t even care that I was gone, Junmyeon told me that he came by the next day and said that he could keep me, that he was tired of the ‘ _mutt_ ’. I think he thought that Junmyeon would use me like he had, and just left everything alone.”

“I’m surprised he did that… my owner would’ve tried to take me back if he had found me…” Kris stated. “That’s been a few years ago that I ran away, I figured he bought another hybrid to take my place.” The wolf stared at Chanyeol for a moment, “You… did you trust Junmyeon at the beginning? That he wouldn’t hurt you?”

Chanyeol shrugged, “Well, it was hard not to trust Junmyeon. I mean, he had provided me with food and blankets even while I was in the care of my owner. I knew he pitied me, and while I hated it, I also needed it. And then when he brought me into his home, he spoiled me so much, treated me like a human, that I couldn’t help but like him at first.”

“And now you’re in love with him,” Kris mumbled.

Chanyeol hummed, “I am. It was bound to happen though,” he laughed, “who couldn’t fall in love with sweet and tiny, little Junmyeon?” Kris was left speechless for a moment, and Chanyeol continued, winking at the wolf, “I bet you’ll fall in love with him too.”

His eyes widened, he shook his head, “N-No… I couldn’t, you’re already together, I couldn’t do that.” He corrected himself, clearing his throat and shaking his head again, “I _wouldn’t_ do that.”

Chanyeol stared at the wolf for a moment, a teasing glint in his eye, “That’s a shame, because you’re exactly Junmyeon’s type,” at which Kris’s eyes widened further, Chanyeol continued, grin spreading, “and there’s more than enough room for two partners in Junmyeon’s heart.”

Kris shook his head, quiet for just a heartbeat, then took a drink of his coffee, he shook his head again, “No… if… _if_ I were to fall in love with him, which _won’t_ happen, I promise, while it might be okay with him, you wouldn’t want to share him. You couldn’t, why would you want to share your mate?”

Reaching over to cover Kris’s hand, Chanyeol smiled, “Because like I told you, there’s more than enough room in Junmyeon’s heart for myself and someone else. And that’s only if you end up falling in love with him, of course,” he decided to play with Kris’s words, winking at the wolf.

Kris looked down at Chanyeol’s hand on his, then met Chanyeol’s gaze, eyes flickering towards Chanyeol’s lips, absentmindedly, he licked his own, “What if… what if I end up falling in love with you instead?”

Chanyeol laughed, “Oh, that’s more than obvious that it’s already happened,” Kris’s eyes widened at that, the dog hybrid puffed out his chest, “I’m quite a catch.”

At the action, Kris couldn’t help the laugh that left his lips, his hand turning and intertwining with Chanyeol’s. He shook his head, the light feeling that filled his chest was odd, it was nice. And he couldn’t stop the smile from crossing his lips and staying there.

Chanyeol squeezed his hand softly, still smiling, “Just so you know, there’s no laws or rules when it comes to love.” He paused for a moment, “I just hope this isn’t the omega in you submitting to me though… I’m just a dog, I’m not an alpha, not a wolf.”

Kris shook his head, “It’s not.” Eyes wide again, smile fading, “How could you tell that I was an omega?”

“When you kept being rude to Junmyeon and I had to reprimand you… you didn’t fight back against me. You’re a wolf, a lot more of an aggressive breed than myself… I figured you’d, at least, snap back,” Chanyeol admitted. “I noticed it then… I don’t know that much about wolves but there’s some things that just… click. Instinct, I guess.”

Kris shrugged, okay, that was a give away. It’s also how his old owner used to get him to submit to him too. Kris was weak, a stern tone left him with his tale tucked between his legs. Over the course of the time he’d been away from his master had made him stronger though, that and the protectiveness that he had for Baekhyun and Kyungsoo. It helped able that strength.

“I’m not like your idea of an omega though. I can’t carry pups, I won’t get pregnant. Males can’t do that.”

“Of course not, wrong plumbing,” Chanyeol chuckled, then he glanced down at the plates, “Are you finished? I’ll get the kitchen cleaned up.”

Kris nodded, he didn’t want to let go of Chanyeol’s hand, but relented. The dog hybrid gathered up the plates and set in the sink, he entered the living room and collected the empty plates from the two little ones, and came back in to start washing them.

Much like how he did the first night they stayed there, Kris grabbed one of the kitchen towels and started drying the dishes as soon as Chanyeol washed them. It felt nice. Kris liked it, it felt almost as if they were a family, their kids watching television while they took care of the house chores, sharing the burden of it together.

Kris glanced over at the way that Chanyeol was focusing on scrubbing the frying pan clean, he watched for a moment. He wondered what it would be like if he did end up staying here for as long as he wanted. The offer was still there, Junmyeon reminded him of that, Chanyeol also.

Then he thought back to last night, the way that Chanyeol and Junmyeon held him after the nightmare. Comforting him. He couldn’t remember falling back asleep but the two must’ve taken care of him after he did so. He could just remember being so warm.

If he did let himself fall for Junmyeon and openly admit that he liked Chanyeol, would he able to sleep like that always? Cradled between the two in bed? He knew that Baekhyun and Kyungsoo would find their way into their bed too. It’d be full, just like it was last night. So warm, so safe, and at peace.

“After we finish the dishes, I’ll go dig through my closet and see if I can find some of the books that Junmyeon gave me when I started learning how to read. He said he’d pick up some more at the school today to bring home,” Chanyeol said, handing him the frying pan to dry. “I can help the two little ones too. You three can learn at the same time.”

\--

It had already started raining as Junmyeon hurried down the sidewalk from the bus stop, he forgot an umbrella, didn’t think it would start raining until after he’d gotten home. Thankfully he made it to the porch of his apartment before it started coming down harder. The temperature was starting to drop, and he knew that before long, the rain would be sleet, and then turn into snow.

Unlocking the door and stepping in, he shivered as the heat of the apartment warmed him. He quickly closed the door, seeing the living room empty, he frowned at that, wondering where everyone was unless they were at Kai’s music shop again. He hoped they weren’t today, he didn’t want them caught in this rain.

But then he heard Chanyeol’s deep voice, it sounded like it was coming from the kitchen. He hung up his coat on the coat rack and then shed off his shoes before stepping up and heading towards the kitchen. He looked in to find Chanyeol going over one of the books that was laid out in front of Kris, Baekhyun, and Kyungsoo. He was teaching them how to read.

He smiled at the scene, Kris looked so focused on the words. Baekhyun looked bored, and Kyungsoo was doodling on the blanket sheet of paper. Junmyeon opened his briefcase and pulled out the extra books.

“I brought some more home,” he handed Kris the books, setting his briefcase down on the table. “How are you doing?”

Chanyeol spoke up, grinning, “Doing better than I did. He’s already memorized the sounds of each letter.”

Junmyeon chuckled, “That’s good,” he ruffled Chanyeol’s hair, pecking the top of his head, “I remember you were a lot like Baekhyun here when I tried to teach you.”

Baekhyun perked at the mention of his name, “It’s just so boring, Junmyeon. I want to watch cartoons. Kyungsoo thinks it’s boring too.”

“Okay,” Junmyeon got one of the books, opened it, and pointed at ten of the letters, “If you can tell me what those ten letters are, both of you, I’ll let you go watch television.”

Baekhyun squinted at the letters, pouting when he realized that he should’ve been paying attention earlier when Chanyeol was going over them, but Kyungsoo spoke up, pointing at each letter as he read them off, “That’s A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, and J. Baekhyun will just copy me now though.”

Baekhyun started to but Junmyeon laughed softly, shaking his head, pointing at the letter after the one that Kyungsoo left off with, “I thought that, Kyungsoo, but now Baekhyun has to tell me what the next ten letters are. You can go ahead and go watch cartoons now, Kyungsoo. Good job!”

Baekhyun whined, “But I don’t know those!” He muttered, “I wanna watch cartoons.”

Junmyeon ruffled his hair, “And you will, after we learn the next ten letters, it’s not that hard, Baekhyun, I promise.” He took Kyungsoo’s vacant chair after the little cat hybrid ran to the living room to flip the TV on. “Now, let’s start. This is K,” he pointed to the letter. “Say it with me. K.”

Baekhyun stared at the letter, repeating it, “K.” Then followed along with Junmyeon as he went over the remaining nine letters.

“Alright, now that we’ve gone through that, repeat them back to me on your own this time,” Junmyeon pointed back at K. “Unless you need me to go over them again, we do that too.”

Baekhyun started on the letter, repeating them as Junmyeon pointed at them, “K, L, M, N, O, P…” he stopped, hesitating at the odd looking letter, “Um… I know the next one but I forgot that one.” So Junmyeon skipped over Q and then pointed at R, “R, S, T.” Then he went back to Q.

“This is Q,” Junmyeon stated, then started back at K, “Okay, one more time. Repeat them to me.”

“K, L, M, N, O, P, _Q_ , R, S, T,” Baekhyun ended with a smile, excitement on his face, he turned to Kris and Chanyeol, “I did it! I remember all ten letters!”

Chanyeol laughed and Kris grinned back, “Good job, Baekhyun, I knew you’d get it.”

Then Baekhyun turned back to Junmyeon, “I can watch cartoons now, can’t I?”

Junmyeon nodded, “A promise is a promise. Just remember those because I might ask you to repeat them to me tomorrow, okay?”

Baekhyun’s eyes widened, he looked back at the letters, mouthing them over again, “Okay.” Then he was out of his chair and running to the living room to join Kyungsoo on the couch.

Junmyeon turned to Kris and Chanyeol and watched as Chanyeol went over the words and then Kris repeated, much like how he’d done with Baekhyun. He smiled to himself, it practically the same teaching methods that he’d done with Chanyeol when he taught the dog hybrid how to read. They continued for another twenty minutes before a stomach growl interrupted.

Kris’s cheeks tinted, looking back down at the book, “Sorry.”

Chanyeol laughed, “Don’t be, I need to get started on dinner anyway. Anything you guys want in particular?” He glanced back and forth between Junmyeon and Kris, to which both shrugged.

“You know I’d eat anything you made me, Chanyeol,” Junmyeon grinned.

“For now, you say that. But when summer comes, you’re going to turn down any kind of meal that’s not rice and boiled chicken,” he grimaced at the thought of the meal. “No seasoning or anything for it, I don’t see how you do it.”

Junmyeon shrugged, a tiny smile on his lips as his ears tinted red, “I like looking good though.”

Chanyeol got up from the table to rummage through the fridge, “I know you do, I like when you look too, but it’s just so bland. No flavor at all.”

Kris wondered about the exchange between the two, quietly closing the books and stacking them up neatly. He wondered why Junmyeon ate nothing but rice and boiled chicken in the summer. It didn’t sound that appealing from the way that Chanyeol talked, but Kris had more than enough hungry nights to eat anything that was food. Bland or not.

But then he remembered the joke last night that Chanyeol used to try and lighten the mood. Something about Junmyeon’s abs. He glanced at the dress shirt that the man had on, nothing could be visible right now. He wondered if the guy had them now, or if it was just a summer thing. Maybe he only worked out then.

He let the two continue their banter back and forth as he gathered up the books and took them back to Chanyeol’s room. As he set them down on the dresser, he noticed the sound of something harder than rain hitting the window, he peeked out of the curtain to see it was sleet coming down now.

He was so glad he wasn’t out in it right now, he knew how miserable it would’ve been to be back in that cardboard box, getting soaked, and freezing as he tried to keep Baekhyun and Kyungsoo warm. The fogging up of the window let him know that it was cold outside, and luckily, he was in here, in the warmth. He thanked whatever gods were listening for Chanyeol and Junmyeon that day.

And the offer of staying there longer was still there. The blizzard was well on its way of building up, it was obvious, and after it was over, he had said they would leave… just thinking about it had him shuddering.

The idea of it didn’t appeal to him at all. Kris didn’t want to leave now. Not when he’d already gotten so used to sleeping in a warm bed, getting warm meals, and feeling protected now. He was safe in here.

The opening of the window in the apartment next to him snapped him out of his thoughts. It only opened a few inches, and then he saw a faint smoke coming out of the window. A few seconds later, the butt of a cigarette was thrown out, the window left open.

It was Junmyeon’s neighbor, and from what Chanyeol told him, his previous owner. The man stepped up to the window and looked outside, not seeing Kris, as he looked up towards the sky, probably noticing the sleet too. He looked a lot older than Junmyeon, had facial hair, a few wrinkles, and dull eyes.

Kris wanted to glare at him, the thought of that man hurting Chanyeol had him angry, but Kris just stepped back and closed the curtains. The faint smell of something cooking in the air had him shaking the thoughts from his head.

Walking back down the hallway, he heard Junmyeon and Chanyeol still talking, the sound of something boiling on the stove, and he stopped in the entrance of the kitchen, eyes widen when he saw Junmyeon peck Chanyeol’s cheek after a tease before the dog hybrid grabbed his owner and pulled him into a proper kiss.

“I guess since it’s sleeting now, you’ll get to stay at home tomorrow, yeah?” Chanyeol mumbled as Junmyeon pulled back, their gaze had changed, a little darker now.

Junmyeon laughed, shaking his head, and pulling away from Chanyeol’s hold to go back to cutting up vegetables, “Whatever you have in mind, no,” he glanced back at Chanyeol with something else to tack on when he noticed Kris, “Oh, Kris, I hope you like kimchi and pork soup, soup just always sounds so good when it’s raining or snowing.”

Kris couldn’t disagree with that, especially with the aroma coming off the stove. It had his mouth watering. But that wasn’t the only thing that had his mouth watering, the gaze that he witnessed between Chanyeol and Junmyeon played back through this mind. The comment that Chanyeol made too.

When Junmyeon turned back to the vegetables, Kris couldn’t help but watch those lips poke out into a pout, something he noticed Junmyeon did when he was concentrating. Then he looked at Chanyeol, swallowing hard when he saw that he’d been caught staring. The teasing smirk on the dog hybrid’s face had him blushing.

Chanyeol winked, he cleared his throat, “Kris, do you want to make some rice again?”

“Y-Yeah, I can,” Kris knew the thoughts that were going through Chanyeol’s head. The earlier conversation about Junmyeon running through his mind, and what Chanyeol told him. He tried to shake it away as he busied himself with rinsing the rice but the thought of Junmyeon’s lips never left his mind. Nor did the thought of Chanyeol’s either.


	7. Part 7

It was snowing heavier now as the nightfall came, slowly building up outside the apartment. Junmyeon kept an eye out on the snow storm, but mostly for the signs of the power going out. He made sure the batteries in the electric blankets were fully charged after dinner was done.

And now he and Kris were watching television, some mindless drama that they ended up on after Baekhyun and Kyungsoo had fallen asleep between them under the throw. Chanyeol was in the shower, so that left the two to their own.

Something that would’ve left Kris and Junmyeon uncomfortable with before, but now it wasn’t as tense. Junmyeon could tell there was an anxiousness in Kris, but it didn’t seem like it was the irritation as before. It was more like the wolf wanted to say something but couldn’t bring himself to or find the words to use.

So Junmyeon just settled back into the couch, eyes on the screen, but waiting if Kris wanted to initiate the conversation.

“I guess the blizzard you mentioned will be tonight?” Kris finally asked, turning to Junmyeon.

Junmyeon met Kris’s gaze, “I guess so. They said later this week, I was hoping for tomorrow or Friday. I’d have a three day weekend then,” he laughed softly.

Kris hesitated at his next question, “What I said before… about leaving after the storm… did you… did you mean it when you said we could stay longer?”

“Of course, Kris,” Junmyeon reassured, “This won’t be the only snow storm this winter. We’ve still got another month before winter is over. And I said you could stay as long as you want.”

Kris nodded, turning back to the TV, quiet again.

“Did you think I was going to tell you to leave after the storm was over?” Junmyeon questioned. Kris shrugged in response. “I know that’s what you originally said, but you’re comfortable here. We like you here, and I know you’re a company to Chanyeol when I’m at work. You and the babies.” He smiled, “I know you don’t care for humans, but I like having you here too.”

Kris looked back at Junmyeon, “I’m sorry for being so hostile towards you before, I just… I have to be strong for those two,” he nodded towards the sleeping tikes, “And I haven’t had the best experiences with humans… I just had the fear that you’d hurt me like everyone else has.”

“That’s completely understandable too, and I don’t fault you for it,” Junmyeon looked down at the rabbit and cat hybrids, “They’re lucky to have someone like you to take care of them.” He recalled what Chanyeol told him about the way that Kris found the two little ones and it nearly broke his heart. The fact that someone would just dump the two somewhere and basically leave them to die made Junmyeon want to hold both of them and dare anyone to hurt them.

He knew Kris had to feel the same way. The way that Kris had approached them when they found the two little ones crying in the alleyway was more than enough proof of that. If Junmyeon and Chanyeol’s intentions had been any less than what they were, he knew that they wouldn’t have made it out of the alleyway without some broken limbs or worse.

Kris shrugged, “I did what I could.” He decided to change the subject, the drama on the television was getting boring, “So Chanyeol said earlier that you might not have to work tomorrow? Because of the blizzard?”

“Yeah, that’s one thing about the school system, any slight chance of bad weather and the class is canceled for the day,” Junmyeon hummed. “Plus public transportation is halted until the roads are all cleared up.”

“Chanyeol told me that you didn’t have a car…” Kris murmured, something that still confused the wolf. Junmyeon obviously had the money to buy one. His previous owner had one. Multiple cars, even cars that other people used to drive the man around in.

“I don’t have much need for a car, everywhere I go is practically within walking distance, and the trip to the school isn’t that far away,” Junmyeon shrugged, “The only time I do use a car is if I’m going to my mother’s home. Then I’ll rent one, she lives in Busan. That’s a long distance from here in Seoul.”

“Do you visit your mother often?”

Junmyeon shook his head and then shrugged, “Well, not as much as I used to. Of course, she used to fly in all the time and stay in a hotel here in Seoul when she tried to set me up on dates.” Kris’s eyes widened at that. “But since I got Chanyeol and introduced her to him, she hasn’t set me up with many more dates. I think there’s only been one more woman that she tried to get me to go out with after she met Chanyeol.”

Kris glanced down the hallway, the shower still running, “Does she know about yours and Chanyeol’s relationship? Why did she set you up with females if you like males?”

Junmyeon shook his head, “No, I hope she doesn’t, anyway. She has her own hybrid pet, and believes firmly that a hybrid should stay in their place. I think she didn’t want me to be lonely but after I got Chanyeol, she must’ve thought that I wasn’t as lonely now.”

“Would she make you get rid of Chanyeol if she knew you liked him more than a pet?” Kris asked, the way that Junmyeon talked, he didn’t care to meet the woman. Especially if she had that kind of mindset.

“I wouldn’t. Chanyeol is mine, she might try to make me get rid of him, but I wouldn’t. I love my mother dearly and would do anything for her, but I love Chanyeol more.”

The way that Junmyeon said that Chanyeol was his, he made something in the pit of Kris’s stomach stir. The earlier conversation that he and Chanyeol had played through his mind. He wondered if anything ever came to be between them, would Junmyeon say that about Kris? That Kris was _his_?

His previous owner said that about Kris all the time, but it was simple possession. A pet, an object to be claimed and done with any way that his owner wanted to. But the way that Junmyeon said it, and acted towards Chanyeol, it was obviously something more than that. There was possession there, but it was deeper. Much deeper than ownership.

When Junmyeon turned back to the television, Kris let his eyes rake over the smaller male. That black hair, that pale skin, those soft eyes, the nose, the lips. The lips just made him think of the kiss that he and Chanyeol shared earlier, and made him swallowed hard. He’d been kissed before, multiple of times when his owner had forced his lips onto his, and they were hard, unyielding, making Kris whimper at the pressure. But Junmyeon’s looked soft, the kiss that he and Chanyeol shared earlier, it was deep, but it was plain that Chanyeol dominated the kiss.

He turned around what Junmyeon said in his head about Chanyeol and put himself in the scenario, what if Junmyeon was _his_? His gaze fell to that pale expansion of the man’s neck, the veins running through it, the bobbing of his Adam’s apple as he swallowed every so often. And there, a few centimeters below his ear, Kris could just imagine his bite marring the man’s skin. Junmyeon would be _his_ then. And of course, still Chanyeol’s. _Theirs_. A human belonging to two hybrids…

“There’s some more hot water, if you two want a shower,” Chanyeol’s voice shook Kris from his thoughts, looking like a deer caught in headlights as he looked up at the dog hybrid that was in a loose white t-shirt and boxer shorts. His hair was dripping down on the shirt in areas that he hadn’t gotten to yet with the towel in his hand.

And Kris, while he hadn’t originally needed a shower, quickly volunteered for it. Opting it best to get a shower and wash any thoughts down the drain that he was having.

When he passed Chanyeol, it looked almost as if the dog hybrid knew what he was thinking, he might’ve even caught the way that Kris was looking at Junmyeon. It still surprised Kris to not see jealousy in those eyes, just teasing playfulness.

He could have two people for himself, if he wanted. It would be just like last night when Kris had the nightmare, two people holding him and comforting him, making him feel the safest he’d felt in a long time.

Chanyeol squeezed in beside Junmyeon and the arm of the couch, wanting to wrap his arms around his owner, the draft in the room chilling him as his skin cooled from the hot water. Junmyeon chuckled, cuddling up to Chanyeol, and trying not to wake the two little ones up.

“You should’ve grabbed my robe, at least,” Junmyeon stated, rubbing Chanyeol’s ears dry with the towel.

“It wouldn’t have done much, short-stuff,” Chanyeol laughed, “And mine’s in the closet somewhere, I’ve never used it since you bought it for me.”

Junmyeon scowled at the teasing of his height, shaking his head, “I know, I was just thinking that it would come in handy in times like this when I got it… if you don’t want it though, you can give it to Kris. He might use it.”

“True, and I don’t mind sharing,” Chanyeol commented, then smirked, leaning over in Junmyeon’s space, lips against Junmyeon’s ear, “I think he’d prefer if I shared something else though.”

Junmyeon shivered, pulling back from Chanyeol, he glanced down at the sleeping faces of the two babies, “Time and place, Chanyeol.”

Chanyeol shrugged, “Then let’s take the babies to their room and we can continue?”

“There isn’t really much to continue,” Junmyeon mumbled, but decided to go with Chanyeol’s suggestion. He knew it would be comfier for the two if they were in bed, especially with the way that Baekhyun was slumped over.

After tucking them into bed, Chanyeol and Junmyeon re-entered the living room, another drama on now, but still as boring as the other. The water was still running in the shower. The two sat down on the couch, this time though, Junmyeon had a lap full of Chanyeol as the dog sprawled out on the couch, head coming to rest on Junmyeon’s lap. The man running his fingers through slowly-drying curls of brown hair, massaging his scalp in different places.

“I like the way the adjummas give me ear-rubs, but nothing beats this,” Chanyeol stated, closing his eyes in content. “I bet Kris would like this too.”

Junmyeon hummed, mumbling, “You’re really eager to share me, aren’t you?”

Chanyeol tried to shrug, “It’s not like you wouldn’t be open to it.” He opened his eyes, looking up at Junmyeon, “It’s just that… after what he’s said with everything he’s been through, I figure if he gets twice the loving, maybe it’ll make up for the lack of it that he’s had?” At Junmyeon’s understanding nod, Chanyeol continued, “I just want to be able to wrap my arms around him and protect him. And I know you do too.”

“I do, but Chanyeol, you shouldn’t rush these things. He’s still just slowly learning to trust us, and I don’t want to do anything to abuse that trust. I wouldn’t intentionally do it, but it took time for you to warm up to me… the same would be required with Kris.”

Chanyeol was quiet for a moment, “He likes me, Myeonie. We talked today, and I can already tell that he likes me… and when I asked him about you, he wasn’t willing to allow any feelings for you because he thought I wouldn’t want to share my mate, as he called you.”

Junmyeon chuckled softly, “I figured he’d end up liking you more than me from the start. I’m human, and humans have hurt him so far, you two would understand each other more than if it were me and him.”

“I did tell him that there was more than enough room in your heart for more than one individual,” Chanyeol reached up, cupping Junmyeon’s face. Junmyeon closed his hand over Chanyeol’s. “If anyone could melt a frozen heart, it’s you, Myeonie.” He rose up after he said that, Junmyeon’s hand falling to his lap that had been in Chanyeol’s hair, the dog hybrid never let go of Junmyeon’s cheek, bringing their lips together. “It’s no wonder why I love you so much.”

Junmyeon breathed a quiet laugh against Chanyeol’s lips, “I love you too, Chanyeol, so much.” Bringing their lips together again in a longer kiss.

One that was broken apart by the clearing of someone’s throat, Chanyeol realized now that he didn’t hear the water running anymore, couldn’t tell when it had stopped, honestly. But there, in the entrance of the living room was Kris, looking slightly out of place. A faint blush on his cheeks.

“I’m going to go onto bed, I didn’t know where to put my dirty clothes?” He motioned to the bundle of clothes in his hand.

Junmyeon pushed Chanyeol off him to stand, reaching out to take the clothes, “I’ll take those, wait before you go to bed and I’ll get you the electric blanket too.” He disappeared into the kitchen, heading towards the back area of the apartment.

Chanyeol flipped off the television, “I think we might head onto bed too.” He stepped up beside Kris, noticing the way the wolf looked hesitantly at him. “I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable with our kiss, I didn’t realize you were finished with your shower.”

Kris shook his head, “N-No, it’s okay. I’m not uncomfortable… he’s your mate. That’s what couples do.”

Chanyeol wanted to tack on something to that statement, throw Kris into the bunch, but decided to take Junmyeon’s advice and let the wolf come to them rather than pushing, “We already put Baekhyun and Kyungsoo to bed.” Kris nodded. “I’ll see you in the morning then. Good night, Kris.”

Kris bid him good night and walked towards the area that Junmyeon had disappeared into. The back room. He watched from the doorway as Junmyeon separated the colored clothes from the whites in the two baskets on the floor in front of the washer, and then busied himself with the batteries that were on the shelf above the dryer. Placing them back into the slots in the electric blankets.

He jumped when he glanced up and saw Kris in the doorway, “Oh, Kris, I didn’t know you were standing right there.”

Kris felt bad for startling the man, “Sorry… I was curious as to what you were doing.”

Junmyeon shook his head, smiling, “It’s okay, no worries.” He held out one of the electric blankets, “Here you go, you can just set it on the bedside table for now, if the power goes out, just throw it on top of the other blankets on the bed and turn the setting on that’s right here,” he pointed at the switch. “It should keep you warm for most the night until the power gets turned back on.”

Kris took the blanket, and remained where he was when Junmyeon turned back to placing the batteries into the other blanket, he shifted on his feet, “Junmyeon…”

“Hm?” Junmyeon looked back up, confused at the nervous expression on Kris’s face.

He nibbled at his bottom lip before he finally spoke again, “Just… thank you. For this,” he nodded at the blanket, and when Junmyeon started to reply to that, he continued, “For everything so far… thank you for helping us. You could’ve easily walked by the alleyway that day and kept walking, and I…” Kris breathed a shaky breath, “I would’ve still been in that cardboard box right now, with sleeting coming down, and freezing as I tried to provide warmth for Baekhyun and Kyungsoo… just… thank you.”

Junmyeon turned to Kris, “You’re welcome, Kris, it would’ve been wrong of me to do that. Just the thought of you three out there in that, if you hadn’t come home with us that day, I would’ve stayed up all night worrying over you. Maybe even came back out with blankets or something to help keep you warm if you still refused to come with us.”

Kris tried not to think of what might’ve come if he did refuse Junmyeon’s help the other day, and the thought of being out in the weather now left him shuddering, “Chanyeol is lucky to have someone like you… and I suppose we are too. I’m still sorry for being so mean to you… and just… thank you. Again. For taking us in.”

Junmyeon nodded, smiling, “You’re more than welcome, Kris, and I’ve already forgiven you for the earlier behavior. I understood where it stemmed from.” He picked up the blanket and the two of them walked through the hallway, Junmyeon shutting off lights as they went. He stopped in front of his room, “Also, Kris, if the power does go out and you still need the bathroom, there’s a flashlight in the bedside table’s drawer to help you see.”

Kris chuckled softly at that, “Thank you, for that, Junmyeon, but I can see in the dark. One of the perks of being a hybrid.” At Junmyeon’s flush of realization on his cheeks, Kris laughed, “Thank you though. Good night.”

“Good night, stay warm,” Junmyeon nodded, pushing open his bedroom door to see Chanyeol in front of the window, watching the snow coming down now. He closed the door behind him, and placed the electric blanket down at the seat at the foot of the bed. He stepped up beside Chanyeol, looking out at the back of the apartments, watching the snow, “Yeah, I don’t think we’ll have work tomorrow.”

Chanyeol wrapped his arm around Junmyeon, lips pressed to the side of Junmyeon’s temple, “I told you that you wouldn’t.”

Junmyeon pulled the curtains closed, eyeing the way that Chanyeol stared at him, he knew what the hybrid was thinking. Every time it snowed and work was canceled, he and Chanyeol hardly left the bed. And when the power went out, the two had one another to keep warm… in _various_ ways.

“You did,” Junmyeon mumbled, pulling out of Chanyeol’s hold to get changed into his sleepwear. He didn’t miss the way that Chanyeol looked at him as he peeled off his shirt, his abs were still there, but they weren’t as toned. He didn’t exercise that much in winter after all. “I know what you’re thinking and Kris is still awake, you know.”

Chanyeol stepped up to where Junmyeon was about to slip on the white t-shirt he slept in, but Chanyeol grabbed it, tugging it from Junmyeon’s hands, “I know, that just means you’ll have to be _extra_ quiet.”

Junmyeon tried to pull back his shirt but Chanyeol had another idea, coming to settled on Junmyeon’s lap where the man sat on the bed in his pajama pants, he took the shirt and brought it up to Junmyeon’s mouth, pushing it against the man’s lips.

His eyes dark when Junmyeon understood what he wanted, and opened his mouth, letting the dog hybrid push it into his mouth, as a makeshift gag. “Like I said, _extra_ quiet.” And then Chanyeol was on him, pushing him down on the bed, sucking patches onto Junmyeon’s neck, fingers and hands tracing over the man’s chest and stomach, every outline that showed off Junmyeon’s muscles, he traced down them.

Junmyeon shuddered against the dog hybrid’s touch, muffled moans escaping here and there when those lips sucked and teeth nibbled in certain spots on his neck. His hands were lost in Chanyeol’s curls, crossed between pulling and pushing when he couldn’t take any more teasing.

The rest of the night, Junmyeon was left tied to Chanyeol as they settled under the blankets, resting and then continuing where they left off.

Chanyeol kissed up Junmyeon’s spine to the back of his neck where they laid on their sides, flush against one another, “Kris wanted to do this earlier to you.”

Junmyeon tensed at that, and in a result, he tightened around Chanyeol’s knot, a breathy moan coming from the dog hybrid, “Wh-what makes you say that?”

“I saw it. The way he was looking at you while you were watching TV after I got out of the shower,” Chanyeol shifted, fingers tracing out Junmyeon’s profile, fingers brushing over Junmyeon’s lips, coming to rest on the slight impression of the bite mark on Junmyeon’s neck. It’d be gone in the morning, Chanyeol never bit hard, not hard enough to leave lingering marks. “You could ask him to join us right now and I know he would.”

Junmyeon brought a hand up to his face, embarrassed, “Please tell me he’s gone to sleep by now?”

Chanyeol laughed, kissing Junmyeon’s neck again, “Like a baby. I heard him start snoring shortly after I had started sucking you off.”

“Good. I know he knows that something is going on with both of us, the look he gave me the first morning when he got coffee, I knew then that he noticed something, but it’s… embarrassing. You hybrids and your hearing is astounding, and then your sense of smell.”

Chanyeol laughed softly, “It is.” His hand traced down Junmyeon’s shoulder, falling onto the side of his ribs, coming round to press against the flat stomach, thumbing at the lines of the stomach, “I really look forward to summertime, I’ll hate seeing you only eating tasteless food, but at the same time, I want to lick your abs again.”

Junmyeon’s hand closed over Chanyeol’s, chuckling, “You only love me for my body, don’t you?”

“It _is_ irresistible,” Chanyeol murmured, sucking at the man’s neck again, shallowly thrusting up, brushing against his destination, delighted when he heard the gasp from Junmyeon. “You have a beautiful smile, and I love that too.”

Junmyeon shuddered when Chanyeol moved again, feeling himself getting hard again, the knot still swollen in him, he reached back, hand finding Chanyeol’s hair. He turned his head and Chanyeol knew what he was seeking, his lips. To which Chanyeol leaned forward and captured them again, moving his hips and thrusting his tongue into that mouth. The kiss was awkward but more than enough to get the fire burning again.

“I love you, Chanyeol,” Junmyeon breathed, breaking apart and trying to find his shirt again.

“Love you too, Myeonie, I’ll let you sleep after this,” Chanyeol grinned, and holding Junmyeon’s hips to his as he thrust up again, the moan swallowed up in the shirt.

\--

**_**3 Weeks Later** _ **

Kai typed away at something on his computer, sending out an email to one of the customers that was asking about one of the music albums that was supposed to be hitting the shelves. Chanyeol and Kris were talking amongst themselves as he saw to his small business matter. The music that filled the air today was the beating of the drum-set and the plucking of guitar strings. Kyungsoo had found the guitar fascinating and Baekhyun loved the drums.

“Has Sehun had any more luck in the courts, Kai?” Kris asked, his voice had changed over the time that he’d stayed with Chanyeol and Junmyeon. It sounded more confident, more sure of himself, more… like Kris should’ve sounded when Kai first met him.

Kai turned in his swivel chair, shaking his head, “Well, he had a case just the other day that he told me about, a hybrid that had been assaulted was trying to get justice. The judge threw out the case, the hybrid’s owner didn’t want to press charges, Sehun thinks the person that hit the hybrid must’ve threatened the owner and they were too scared to follow through with the charge.” Kai shook his head, “I would’ve fought tooth and nail if that was my hybrid that got hurt.”

Chanyeol smiled softly, “Not everyone is like you though, Kai.”

“He is talking with some politicians about trying to pass different laws that would help hybrids, I think those only work when they’re handed a few big bills to get their votes,” Kai rolled his eyes. “You know how crooked they are.”

They noticed that when they watched the news at the apartment. All that ever concerned politicians was money, money, money. Junmyeon scowled at most of the reports any time he saw them, choosing not to pay them much mind.

“How’s your reading coming along, Kris?”

That was one thing that Kris lit up about anytime someone asked him, he felt proud of himself for being able to read full books now. Thick ones that he’d found of Junmyeon’s, they even had big words in them.

“He’s doing amazing,” Chanyeol spoke up, beaming at how proud he was of the wolf, he reached over to card his hand through Kris’s hair, “A lot better than I did when Junmyeon taught me. I think he’s read just about all of Junmyeon’s college books that he had lying around.”

Kris blushed at that, a shy smile overtaking his lips, he shrugged, “Now that I can read, I like to.”

Kai laughed, “It’s a shame I don’t sell books, you could check out as many as you’d like. I’ve never cared much for reading. I’d end up falling asleep down the first page if I cracked open a book.” He hummed, “But if you’re reading Junmyeon’s college books, it’s a shame that you can’t enroll in courses. You’d already have a head-start. Although it would be in teaching, but still, better than nothing.”

Kris’s eyes widened, he’d never thought of college, or schooling of any kind. Hybrids weren’t allowed to go to school anyway so it never crossed his mind. Let alone college. The way that Junmyeon said it was tiring when the subject was brought up when he found Kris with one of his college books, he believed he’d have to decline. It sounded too stressful.

He shook his head, “I’m good. Junmyeon said that college is stressful.”

“It is, that’s why I never went, just opened up my own business instead,” he gestured towards the music shop, “I applaud Junmyeon and Sehunnie for completing college. I figure law school would be even more stressful with the things you have to remember, and then when exam time comes, everything that you learned is suddenly not there,” Kai shuddered, shaking his head, “I’m good.”

Over the course of the three weeks that Kris stayed with Chanyeol and Junmyeon and visited Kai’s music shop, the only time he’d met Sehun was brief. A small introduction as the man brought lunch for all of them. He greeted them all, placing a kiss on Kai’s lips, and was going to join them for lunch until his cell started ringing and he was back out the door with apologies and frustration clear on his face.

But the appearance of Sehun had him hesitant to meet the man at first, the way he was dressed, nice and neatly in the three piece suit and matching tie, his hair styled neatly, glasses perched on his nose, and the whole aura coming off of Sehun. It made Kris think of his previous owner. The man dressed similar, although he wasn’t anywhere as tall as Sehun, short like Junmyeon, a softer smile, like Junmyeon’s, but the man looked powerful, there was an authoritarian sense about the man. Much like what he thought of Sehun.

It surprised Kris that Kai’s boyfriend was the complete opposite when it came to personality. In the brief time that he was there, he treated Kris, Chanyeol, and even Baekhyun and Kyungsoo like other humans. Shook Kris and Chanyeol’s hands, and bowed to the two little ones.

Kyungsoo coming over to them had Kris’s thoughts disperse, “I’m sleepy, hyung.”

Kris pulled him into his lap, letting Kyungsoo curl up and nuzzle into his chest, “It’s almost time for your nap today, isn’t it?”

“We can head back home now, if you want,” Chanyeol stated, glancing over at Baekhyun to see the little tike’s eyes drooping, the beating on the drums had ceased.

Kai chuckled when he looked at Baekhyun, “I think he’s about out too. Must be growth spurts, they’re a little taller than they were last week.”

Kris looked down at Kyungsoo, “I don’t think they’ll get any taller than Junmyeon’s height. Usually by now, they’d be taller than they are. I know it wasn’t a whole two years after I was born that was I already taller than they are right now.”

Chanyeol nodded, “Same for me too.” He got up and went over to Baekhyun, picking up the little bunny, his head coming to rest on Chanyeol’s shoulder, “I think you’re right, Kris, they’re going to short too.”

“At least Junmyeon won’t feel out of place then,” Kai laughed, “It would suck if he was the only midget in a house full of giants.”

On the way back to the apartment, Baekhyun had fallen off to sleep on Chanyeol’s shoulder, arms falling limp from where they were around his neck. Kris was leading the way, and instead of the usual path they took from Kai’s shop to the apartment, he started down one of the other sidewalks. Like he was starting towards the marketplace.

“You decided to take a different path?” Chanyeol questioned, glancing up at the clear sky and sun shining bright. It was still cool, but not as chilly as it had been. He hummed, “It is a nice day for a longer scroll down the street.”

Kris nodded, looking around at the sky too, but there was something else he had wanted to see. Something that he had thought about the last few days. Ever since he’d taken up Junmyeon’s offer of staying longer at the apartment, the place he now called home, it had crossed his mind a few times.

The three of them had fit right into Junmyeon and Chanyeol’s home, and with some of Chanyeol’s egging on, he had found himself drawn closer and closer to Junmyeon and to the dog hybrid. There were just some steps that he had not reached, yet.

“Wha-” Chanyeol started but Kris’s stopping had him pausing. He was about to ask again but recognition struck Chanyeol when he saw the alleyway that Kris stopped in front of. The dog hybrid falling silent, wondering what was going through Kris’s mind.

But Kris stepped into the entrance of it, walking further, much like he and Junmyeon had when they heard the whimpering that day. He followed after Kris, seeing that hardly anything had changed in the alleyway from what he remembered when they first entered. Kris rounded the large trash bin, and in the spot where he’d taken shelter for so long, was still the cardboard box from before.

Kris took a shuddering breath, glancing down at the top of Kyungsoo’s top where the little cat slept in his arms. He looked back over at Chanyeol, his gaze falling from Chanyeol’s to Baekhyun’s sleeping form.

“Kris? You okay?” Chanyeol asked, stepping up to Kris, looking down at the cardboard box, the blanket halfway hanging off of the front of it. He could see a rat in the corner of it, peering up at them cautiously.

“I am, sorry for bringing you back here,” Kris looked back at the cardboard box, “I just… I can’t thank you and Junmyeon enough for saving us from this place.” He glanced around the alleyway, the end of it and the entrance of it, grimacing at the stench of it, the filth in it, the trash here and there, “If it hadn’t been for you two… I don’t know how that night would’ve turned out for us, it was so cold that day and I knew it was only going to get colder that night, and I hadn’t had any luck with finding anything warmer for us to use. Then the blizzard the few days after. It was cold in the apartment after the power went out, but it wasn’t anything compared to what it would’ve been here, in this place.”

Chanyeol reached out to cup Kris’s face, “I don’t like thinking about how it would’ve turned out yet. If we hadn’t heard Baekhyun and Kyungsoo that day… I know that you three wouldn’t have even crossed our minds, but we did, and if you had refused, Junmyeon already told me that he wouldn’t have been able to rest after knowing that you were out in the cold.

“I wouldn’t have been able to either. I’m sorry that I growled at you that day-”

Kris laughed, shaking his head, “I deserved it. I came at you two with my teeth bared and a growl of my own. You were just protecting Junmyeon.”

“True, and I know that I had good reason that day, but I’m still sorry,” Chanyeol caressed Kris’s cheek, he leaned over and kissed Kris’s forehead. “Come on, let’s go on home.”

Kris took one last look at the cardboard box, hand finding Chanyeol’s as the dog hybrid led him out of the alleyway, but even then, he didn’t let go of Chanyeol’s hand the whole way back to the apartment. Back to _home_ now. He was finally leaving that part of his past behind him, and onto better things.


	8. Part 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry for this.

It became a regular thing to have almost a full house when Junmyeon came home from work now, the warming part was as soon as he entered the front door, his legs were attacked by little arms wrapping themselves around him. Excitement from both of the little ones as soon as they saw that he was back home. Chanyeol was usually busy with cooking while Kris helped out with the laundry and cleaning. It was something that Junmyeon reminded him that he didn’t have to do, but with the growing pile of laundry from three more individuals, it was greatly appreciated.

It also meant that laundry day couldn’t wait until Saturday. Otherwise, it would be more than two loads that day to wash all the dirty clothes.

After he hugged both Kyungsoo and Baekhyun, handing them two new books for them to color and study from, he slipped off his light coat and shoes at the door, and then headed to the kitchen. The smell of pork chops frying greeted his nose when he stepped through the doorway. Chanyeol was cooking at the stove while Kris was rinsing the rice in the sink.

“Honey, I’m home,” Junmyeon chimed, playfully as he stepped up to Chanyeol, causing a grin from the dog hybrid and pressing a kiss to his cheek. “I think spring is well on its way, it feels so good outside.”

Chanyeol chuckled, “I know, we let Kyungsoo and Baekhyun run around outside for a little while earlier.”

“It’s about time, I’m tired of the cold,” Kris spoke up, moving the washed rice over to the rice cooker.

Junmyeon imitated a shiver, walking over to the fridge to pull out a bottle of water, “Same here. The mornings are still chilly on the way to the bus stop.”

Chanyeol glanced over his shoulder to see the small smile that Kris and Junmyeon shared with one another. He turned back to the stove, listening to them converse about the weather. He kept trying to get them to open up to one another, making small remarks to try and get the ball rolling with another one, but not much luck.

Kris had admitted that he felt shy around Junmyeon now, and Junmyeon, at first, wondered what he did to make Kris shy away from him but Chanyeol knew. It was the beginning of a crush. And Chanyeol wanted it to become something more, but he had to be patient, he supposed.

Chanyeol and Kris were another story, they hadn’t shared intimacy yet, but the small caresses and the small pecks to the cheek were the only thing. Kris was hesitant for anything more with Chanyeol, but the want was there. It didn’t help that Chanyeol teased him about it either, usually bringing a laugh or wide smile across the wolf hybrid’s lips.

Kris still had nightmares from time to time, mostly when he told Chanyeol, and sometimes Kai, a little more about himself and his previous owner. And usually that ended up with Junmyeon and Chanyeol being pulled into the room by either Baekhyun or Kyungsoo and they all ended up sharing the bed together.

Junmyeon had bought a bunk bed for Kyungsoo and Baekhyun shortly after the second week of them being there, and while they did sleep in their own beds at times, they almost always ended up back in bed with Kris before morning came. Baekhyun had stated the reason for that was to help Kris not have nightmares.

“Did you want to come with us tomorrow to Kai’s shop?” Chanyeol asked, taking a bite of his pork chop, looking to Junmyeon that was at the other end of the table. “I know that we usually go to the marketplace on Saturday, but we could always go Sunday… if you wanted to join us. Sehun is supposed to be there tomorrow, and I think Kris could probably use the support too.” Chanyeol reached over and placed his hand on Kris’s.

Kris had finally agreed to let Sehun document the things that happened during his time in the shelter, being sold to traffickers, and then auctioned off to his previous owner. It was a small step, but Kris believed that it may help him over time. Maybe if he got it all off his chest and Sehun used it for getting other hybrids in Kris’s situation help, it might help him heal on the inside.

Although Chanyeol and Junmyeon were already helping with that, just by there for Kris when he needed them.

He came a long way from the cold and cautious individual that didn’t trust humans to where he was now. Residing in another human’s home, a good human. One that cared, one that helped him, and one that even loved him.

Junmyeon nodded, taking a sip of his tea, “Sure, it’ll be the first time I meet Sehun too.” He teased, “I’m curious to see who has you two so starstruck.”

Chanyeol chuckled, “I think he might swoon you too, Myeonie. Tall, like me and Kris, dark hair, like mine and Kris’s, good looking, and he’s got a warm heart.” He winked, toasting his juice to Junmyeon and Kris.

“He’s Kai’s boyfriend though,” Kyungsoo spoke up, looking back and forth between Junmyeon and Chanyeol.

Junmyeon laughed, and was about to reply, but Baekhyun spoke up, looking at the human, “They kiss like you and Chanyeol do, why don’t you and hyung kiss? Chanyeol kisses Kris hyung’s cheek all the time.”

Kris and Junmyeon’s eyes widened at that. Their gazes met one another’s, speechless for a moment. Chanyeol was the one that retorted to that, smirking and leaning over to Baekhyun to whisper, “They’re just too shy to.”

“Shy?” Baekhyun echoed, eyes on both Junmyeon and Kris. “Why are you too shy? Chanyeol’s not shy and he kisses both of you… I’ve never seen you kiss Kris hyung on the lips though.” Baekhyun turned back to Chanyeol, looking for an explanation for that.

Chanyeol laughed, reaching over to pat Baekhyun’s head, “You have to have permission for that, Baekhyun.”

“So Junmyeon can just ask Kris hyung for a kiss and if he says yes then they can?” Baekhyun questioned, noticing the tinting of both the human and wolf’s cheeks. The two were worried over what the next question or statement could’ve been coming from the bunny, but Baekhyun turned back to Chanyeol with wide and excited eyes, “Can I ask Sehun if I can kiss his cheek tomorrow when we go to Kai’s music shop?”

The three couldn’t stop the laughter that fell from their lips at that question. Kris and Junmyeon looked relieved by the different direction of the conversation and questioning, both sparing a shy glance at one another. And Chanyeol, having his plans of teasing both individuals foiled, deflated at the question, chuckling as he shrugged.

“If you did that, you’d have to ask Kai’s permission too. Sehun belongs to Kai, so you have to make sure both of them are okay with it,” Chanyeol stated, a teasing smile crossing his lips, “Has he stolen your little heart too, Baekhyun?”

Baekhyun shook his head, “No, I see you three do it all the time and then Kai and Sehun and I just want to try it.”

“So just curiosity, I’m sure he wouldn’t mind,” Chanyeol replied, then pointed at himself, Kris, and then Junmyeon, then tapped his cheek, “But you can still ask any of us three if it’s okay to kiss our cheek.”

“I already get enough kisses from you guys, Junmyeon kisses the top of our heads all the time, so does Kris hyung, and you do sometimes, Chanyeol.”

Chanyeol feigned being hurt by the statement, “So you just want to try everyone’s kisses?”

Baekhyun shrugged, looking at Chanyeol pointedly, “You kiss more than one person…”

“True. And as long as you got room in your heart for more than one person, I don’t see what’s so bad about it,” Chanyeol nodded, sparing a glance at both Kris and Junmyeon, winking. “We’ve certainly got more than enough room for all of us in our hearts.”

Junmyeon stood in front of the sink, washing the dishes from that evening’s dinner, Chanyeol had volunteered to help get Baekhyun and Kyungsoo a bath. Kris grabbed a kitchen towel and set to drying the dishes as soon as Junmyeon handed them to him. The two worked in silence at first, the only sounds was the dishes and small splashes of water in the sink.

“I think it’s courageous what you’re doing, Kris,” Junmyeon finally stated, looking up at the wolf hybrid, catching him off guard. “Letting Sehun document what you went through, I know it’s going to be a bit traumatic, but Chanyeol and I will be there with you, every step of the way.”

Kris’s cheeks tinted slightly, going back to focusing on the glass he was drying, “Thank you, Junmyeon. I really couldn’t do it without you and Chanyeol. You two literally saved me, all three of us. I can’t thank you enough for that.”

“You’re welcome, Kris, I’m just glad to help you in any way that I can.” Junmyeon smiled.

It was quiet between them again until finally Junmyeon had finished rinsing off the last plate, handing it to Kris as he let the water out of the sink. He turned on the tap to wash down the rest of the soap suds and then set the sponge on the side of the sink. Kris wiped off the plate and hesitated about placing it in the dish rack by the sink.

“Um… Junmyeon?” Kris started, setting the plate down, the dish towel still in his hand as he looked up at the man, having his attention, “What Chanyeol said earlier, and what he’s been saying… I… I haven’t had the best relationships with humans in the past, so I’m still hesitant, but if he was right about there being room in your heart for me too… would you… would you have me and Chanyeol?” The towel was bunched up in Kris’s fists now, ringed up from nervousness. Something that didn’t go unnoticed with Junmyeon.

He was shocked by the question, but seeing how Kris was nibbled on his bottom lip now, and the way that his cheeks were tinting, he had to calm the wolf. “Kris, I don’t want you agreeing to what Chanyeol said just because he pushed you to it.” He laughed, “He can be very persistent. It’s one way that he wiggled himself into my heart, more than just a pet, you know.”

Kris looked up, shaking his head quickly, “It’s not that. He is persistent, true, but I just… I like you,” he finally admitted, almost whisper-like, but feeling like the knot in his throat was suddenly gone after those words, a weight off his shoulders to finally have confessed that. “I see the way you come home every day to Chanyeol, and I want that, I want you to greet me with a kiss in the morning, I want to pull you into kisses like Chanyeol does… I want to go to bed at night, and be cuddled up to you like Chanyeol does. And I want to do all that with Chanyeol too. I want you two to hold me always, like when you comfort me after a nightmare.”

The way that Junmyeon’s eyes had softened when Kris finished, it was more than obvious that the man felt the same, or wanted the same. He was as hesitant as Kris was, but Kris knew he had good reasons. Their first encounters weren’t ideal. Kris didn’t trust him because he was a human, he didn’t like him because he was a human, and that put a halt on any kind of means of affection, at first. But that first night that he had the nightmare, the way that Junmyeon comforted him, held him, and made him feel so safe in those arms, that was the start for Kris.

And he wondered if that was the start for Junmyeon too.

Junmyeon reached out to take the bunched up towel from his hands, tossing it to the counter and then held Kris’s hands, having uncurled them from the nervous fists he had. “I like you too, Kris. Chanyeol has probably already told you more than enough about myself, and I am more than willing to welcome you into our relationship. I can do all those things that you wanted, and take things slow, if you want.”

Kris nodded, _slow_ , yes, he could do that, “I’d like that… I’m still nervous when it comes to anything like the stuff you and Chanyeol do in-” he stopped, eyes wide. He hadn’t meant to spill that he had been listening.

Junmyeon’s face reddened at that, embarrassed, mumbling, “Chanyeol said you were snoring… when we… did things.”

Now it was Kris shifting uncomfortably where he stood, he looked down at their joined hands, “I think he just said that… for himself. He’s told me that he can’t resist you.”

Junmyeon laughed, face still red, “I feel like he said more than that, but you don’t have to say it, Kris. We wouldn’t have to do anything like that until you’re comfortable enough to do so. Like I said, we can take it slow.”

“So… so does that mean I can kiss you now?” Kris asked, voice small again, feeling small despite him towering over the shorter male, “Just a small kiss?”

“You can,” Junmyeon nodded, letting go of one of Kris’s hands to bring the man’s chin up to connect their gazes. “Chanyeol said you were submissive by nature… I am too… when it comes to a relationship, so whatever you have to give, I’ll take.”

Kris’s eyes shifted between Junmyeon’s to his lips, “Omega… that’s the kind of wolf I am…” his free hand now cupping Junmyeon’s cheek, finally leaning down, Junmyeon’s eyes fluttering shut and then Kris’s fell shut, their lips meeting hesitantly. Barely a brush at first, until Kris pressed a little more, and Junmyeon following suit. Letting the wolf lead all the way.

Something that Kris wasn’t used to at all, it felt nice. To be the one in charge of someone that wasn’t a child.

Junmyeon’s hand in Kris’s squeezed softly, bodies moving closer to each other’s naturally, the kiss sweet and soft. Still hesitant on Kris’s behalf but Junmyeon wasn’t in any rush, only taking whatever Kris gave him. Moving as Kris moved.

“Kris and Junmyeon are kissing like you and Junmyeon do, Chanyeol,” Kyungsoo pointed, causing the two to break apart. The cat hybrid was fresh out of the shower, hair drying under the small towel, in his blue and yellow ducky pajamas, eyes wide as he took in the display in the kitchen.

Chanyeol chuckled at the blushing faces of the two having been caught, “It’s about time.”

Baekhyun looked up at Chanyeol, “I guess they’re not shy anymore.”

After the embarrassment in the kitchen, the five of them settled in front of the television to finish out the rest of their evening in the typical routine they usually did on Friday nights. Since Junmyeon didn’t have to work tomorrow, he could stay up late. Baekhyun and Kyungsoo had started out with sitting at the coffee table, coloring in the books that Junmyeon had gotten them until they slowly migrated up to the couch, where Junmyeon was situated between Chanyeol and Kris.

From there, they watched the show that was playing until their little eyelids slowly started drooping. Both of them falling off to sleep on Kris’s and Junmyeon’s laps. Junmyeon pulled the throw off the backside of the couch to throw over the two.

“So what brought that on in the kitchen earlier?” Chanyeol asked quietly, attention on the television, before throwing a small glance at the two, smirking, as he turned back to the show.

Kris glanced at Junmyeon then looked up at Chanyeol, “I… I just… I confessed, you told me that I should say how I felt.”

Junmyeon looked between the two, “So you told him to do that, Chanyeol?”

Chanyeol shrugged, “I told him to confess to you. I already knew that he loved me, dearly, and we talked, about you a lot during the day, and I told him that he should tell you whenever he’s ready.” He chuckled softly, reaching over behind Junmyeon to pat Kris’s head, “I guess he was ready.”

“You’re okay with the kiss?” Kris asked hesitantly.

“Would’ve rather I’d be in the bunch, you still haven’t kissed me like that,” Chanyeol faked a pout, shaking his head, “But yeah, I’m okay with the kiss, I can’t exactly get jealous over my two partners having an intimate moment, can I?”

Kris bit his lip, nodding, “I wanted to make sure, I’m not exactly used to having two partners… I’ve never had a partner before, actually, not willingly, anyway.”

Chanyeol and Junmyeon shared a look with one another, knowing that Kris was referring to his previous owner. They knew that Kris would be new to anything that they asked of him, but they wouldn’t push for anything that the wolf was uncomfortable with. Junmyeon wanted Kris to feel the same way as Chanyeol did after he learned the healthy means of a relationship. It was a partnership in which both sides took care of one another. And between Chanyeol and Junmyeon, Kris would have double that.

Junmyeon reached out and placed his hand over Kris’s, “I know due to past experiences, all this will seem completely new to you, but whatever pace you need, you’ll have it from both of us.”

Chanyeol nodded, reaching over to place his hand over Junmyeon and Kris’s hands, “Mhm, and anything you’re curious about, just talk to us about it.”

“Thank you,” Kris smiled softly, “For understanding.”

The three turned back to the television and continued watching the program, just content and quiet in each other’s company until Kris yawned. Junmyeon glanced at the clock on the wall and saw that it was nearing close to eleven o’clock. He elected to go ahead and take Baekhyun and Kyungsoo onto bed, then head on themselves. After him and Kris took both the little ones to the bedroom, Chanyeol was already in their bedroom, getting things ready for bedtime.

Junmyeon walked back into the living room to turn off the lights and television when a knock came to the front door. He wondered who exactly was knocking at this late of the night. Kris and Chanyeol both heard the knocking and immediately went back to the living room, curious and cautious of whoever it could be. Although they both stopped dead in their tracks with wide eyes at who was standing in the doorway after Junmyeon opened the front door.

Chanyeol’s eyes fell to the floor when the man’s gaze spotted him, Kris reached out to hold his hand, confused about the man’s visit, wanting to comfort the dog hybrid.

“Hey, Junmyeon, I know it’s late but I’m just getting off work. I worked second shift all this week at my job,” Mr. Park stated, turning his gaze back to the curious one of Junmyeon’s. The man was almost the same height as Chanyeol and Kris, towering over Junmyeon’s short height.

Junmyeon nodded, shifting from one foot to the other, “I wondered who it could be at this hour, do you need something, Mr. Park?”

Mr. Park raised his hand, index finger pointing over Junmyeon’s shoulder, “My mutt back, actually.” He noticed the color draining from Chanyeol’s face, the wolf’s as well. And when he looked back at Junmyeon, seeing the way the man was conflicted between shock and refusal, he reminded the shorter male with a small smile, “I understand that you’ve had him all these years, and I willingly let you take him, I just figured you were lonely. I rarely ever see you have any company, so I was okay with that, but I have papers of his adoption and I can come back with the police, if needed, but he is mine, and I want him back.”

Junmyeon stood speechless for a moment, his heart in his throat, and it was hard to swallow for a moment.

Mr. Park continued, “I figured since you got yourself another hybrid, you wouldn’t need that mutt anymore. I’ll take him back now.”

Finally, Junmyeon found words to speak, “I… uh… of course, Mr. Park, can… can you wait here a moment so I can get Chanyeol’s stuff for you?”

Mr. Park shrugged, “Sure, I don’t mind.”

Junmyeon closed the door, stepping back on numb legs, and then he looked back and saw Chanyeol through a watering gaze. The dog hybrid almost resembled Junmyeon, eyes watery and lip wobbling. Junmyeon held out his arms and moved to the dog hybrid, holding him tight, a sob falling from his lips.

“I’m so sorry, Chanyeol… I don’t… I can’t… I can’t stop him from taking you,” Junmyeon wept, clutching to the dog hybrid’s shirt. “He’s got papers… I can’t, I’m sorry-” His sentence fell off into a whimper.

Chanyeol held onto Junmyeon, shaking in fear at what he’d be walking back into, thinking for the longest time that that part of his past was over with. He cried hard into Junmyeon’s shoulder. Kris’s arms came around the backside of him, holding Chanyeol, teardrops falling down on Chanyeol’s other shoulder.

Junmyeon pulled back, eyes red and wet, “I’ll… I’ll try my best to get you back. I don’t know how yet, but I will bring you back home, _here_ , where you belong.” He cupped Chanyeol’s face, wiping the tears that just kept coming from those brown eyes, “I-I’m so sorry, Chanyeol.”

Chanyeol shook his head, eyes still gleaming with tears, leaning down to kiss Junmyeon one last time, “I love you, Junmyeon. I love you so much.”

He pulled away from Junmyeon, Kris’s hands gripped his shirt, but Chanyeol eased them off him. Cupping Kris’s face, and placing a kiss on the wolf’s forehead like he always did.

Junmyeon didn’t want to let him go but Chanyeol choked out through tears that he wanted to kiss the tops of Kyungsoo and Baekhyun’s heads before leaving. Kris stepped up to Junmyeon, when the dog hybrid disappeared down the hallway, enclosing his arms around the human. Junmyeon didn’t hesitant, burying his head in Kris’s chest and sobbing.

When Chanyeol came back out of the hallway, he wiped at his eyes and nose with his sleeve, trying to put on a brave face. But it just made Junmyeon cry harder, apologies and promises falling from his lips.

“I love you, Chanyeol, I’ll get you back, I promise,” Junmyeon cried desperately. “I don’t care about how much he’ll take for you, but I’ll get you back.”

Chanyeol didn’t take anything with him, if he had, it would’ve just been thrown away in the trash like everything else that Junmyeon gave him when he was still with his owner. The man didn’t think the dog hybrid needed much other than some food and water every so often.

The two watched as Chanyeol walked back to the front door, opening it to see Mr. Park leaning against the doorway, and in his hand was the collar and leash that Chanyeol remembered all too well. He dropped his head in obedience, letting Mr. Park put the collar on him. With one last small glance at Junmyeon and Kris, Chanyeol was pulled away with Mr. Park.

The last words that lingered was from Mr. Park muttering about the ‘ _mutt_.’

Junmyeon buried his head back into Kris’s chest, holding him tightly as he sobbed. Kris didn’t know what to say or what to do other than hold onto Junmyeon, his own tears falling. He held him so long until they had both ended up crumpled up on the floor, holding one another, and sobbing.

He felt so powerless. Junmyeon felt so useless in that moment. He’d let Chanyeol be taken away, no matter how much he couldn’t have fought against Mr. Park, the man had the adoption papers, if Mr. Park wanted, he could’ve even charged Junmyeon with taking his _property_. Despite how Mr. Park mistreated Chanyeol, in a court of law, he was within his rights to do so since he owned the dog hybrid.

There was nothing that he could do to stop Mr. Park.


	9. Part 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warning for mentions of rape/noncon and physical abuse. Read with caution.

The steps up the small porch of the apartment were so similar to the ones at Junmyeon’s apartment, but these steps were the ones that Chanyeol never thought he’d ever be lead up again. It had never occurred to him that the man that was tugging on his leash would ever want him back. The man hardly wanted him in the first place. If it wasn’t for his ex-girlfriend, Chanyeol probably would’ve still been in the shelter that he was born in.

Maybe he might’ve even been adopted by someone else. Maybe someone like Junmyeon? Maybe even Junmyeon? The man had mentioned before that he did want a hybrid after he’d moved out of his parents’ home and got his own place. Maybe Junmyeon would’ve came through the shelter that Chanyeol was at and picked him then?

Nothing was for certain, after all.

Chanyeol just wished the cards had played out differently than it did.

“Come on, you stupid mutt,” Mr. Park yanked at the leash, pulling Chanyeol into the apartment. It had hardly changed from the way that Chanyeol remembered it. Messy, dirty, and the stench of cigarettes filled the air.

Mr. Park dropped the leash, turning to lock the front door, and then grabbed the back of Chanyeol’s neck, causing the dog hybrid to seize up, stumbling as he was guided into the old familiar room. The smell of cigarettes was stronger now, especially when the bedroom door opened and he pushed in.

“Second shift is a bitch,” Mr. Park mumbled, kicking off his shoes to the corner of the room, and shedding of his shirt. “I’m sure you can remember what happens now. Hell, that kid next door probably fucked you enough for you to know what a bedroom is for.” He took the end of Chanyeol’s leash and tied it to the headboard of the bed, pointing at the side of the bed. “Get up there and clothes _off_.”

Chanyeol’s eyes widened in fear, with shaky hands, he peeled his shirt and pants off. He kept his head down as he stripped completely, sitting down on the side of the bed when he finished.

The tugging on his leash made him move, and when he looked up, he saw his owner in nothing but his boxers, sporting something that Chanyeol regretted to see. “Lay back, if you try to fight me, I’ll beat you black and blue.”

The whimper that fell from Chanyeol’s lips when Mr. Park pushed him to lay back on the bed was a mistake. One that Chanyeol tried to correct with an apology but it was quickly lost in the sound of the hard smack across his face.

“You know the rules here, no noises,” Mr. Park glared down at him, “If you don’t remember them, I have no problem teaching them to you again.”

Chanyeol tried to stop the tears that filled his eyes, tried to stop the whimpers that threatened to escape when Mr. Park lowered his head to the side of Chanyeol’s neck. He stared up at the ceiling as he felt those hard and rough hands on him, he thought he’d never have to do this again, never have to be back in this bed again, never have to feel this man again.

As the moans from the man above him filled the air, he knew it was going to be a long night.

\--

The wolf didn’t return to his bedroom that night, no, instead, he’d helped Junmyeon up from the floor where the man still sniffled and whimpered, making their way back to Junmyeon’s bedroom. He lied Junmyeon down on the bed, and the man wasted no time in reaching out and taking the pillow that Kris believed was Chanyeol’s, because Junmyeon clutched it to him hard, fresh tears starting again.

Kris shut off the light and crawled into bed behind Junmyeon, arms coming around to hold the man, letting Junmyeon turn towards him, the pillow between them as Junmyeon cried again.

At the sounds of Junmyeon’s crying, it wasn’t long before Kris’s eyes started watering again. “We’ll get him back, Junmyeon, he’s coming back home to us, I promise.”

“I need him, Kris, I want my baby back,” Junmyeon whimpered, he looked up at Kris, “Why’d he have to take him from me? He never cared for him! Chanyeol is mine, I cared for him… I nursed him back to health… I love him!”

Kris pulled Junmyeon back to him, “I know you did, Chanyeol told me everything that you’ve done for him. You’ve helped him so much, helped him learn how to love… you’ll get him back, Junmyeon, I promise.”

The two lied there for the longest time, Kris kept whispering promises and apologies into Junmyeon’s ear until he didn’t hear anymore sniffling, only soft snoring. He looked down to see the wet streaks on Junmyeon’s cheeks, thumbing away at them softly to keep from waking the man.

He glanced over at the clock on the bedside table and saw that it was almost three in the morning. He didn’t want to fall asleep, thinking about what Chanyeol might be suffering through again, but he needed to. He was going to go to Kai’s shop that morning and they were going to figure out how to get Chanyeol back. Sehun would be of great help right now, and that’s what Kris needed. Someone to help.

The next morning, he woke up to the whimpering and sniffling again, and when he looked over at the other side of the bed, Junmyeon was curled up to Chanyeol’s pillow again. His back was to him, but Kris could see the shaking of the man’s shoulders as he cried again. He was about to reach over to comfort him, but the bedroom door came open with Baekhyun running in, and Kyungsoo after him.

“We were wondering where you were, Kris, you weren’t in our room and you weren’t in the kitchen--hey, why is Junmyeon crying?” Baekhyun asked, moving to the side of the bed where Junmyeon was curled up. “Were you being mean to him again, hyung? Chanyeol told you not to be mean to Junmyeon!”

Kyungsoo nodded in agreement, then looked around the room, mumbling, “Where is Chanyeol?”

Junmyeon cried harder at that question, burying his face into the pillow. That just made Baekhyun whine, tears starting to work up in his own eyes. He looked between Kris and Junmyeon, frantic when he saw Kris’s eyes watering too.

“What’s wrong, Junmyeon? Don’t cry!” Baekhyun moved to lie down beside Junmyeon and the man opened his arms to allow Baekhyun into his embrace. Baekhyun hugged him close.

Kris sat up, “Junmyeon is sad right now, Chanyeol is missing… that’s why he’s crying.”

Kyungsoo and Baekhyun’s eyes widened at that, “He’s missing? But he was here just last night!”

Baekhyun nodded, “Yeah, why did he leave? Did someone steal him?”

“We don’t know,” Kris lied. “I’m going to see if I can find him on the way to Kai’s music shop. You two want to join me?”

Baekhyun shook his head, hugging onto Junmyeon, “No, I want to stay with Junmyeon, he’s really sad and I don’t want him to be sad alone. Go find Chanyeol, hyung!”

Kyungsoo reached up his arms to Kris once the wolf had stood up, wanting to be picked up, “I’ll go with you, we can find Chanyeol together.”

After Kris had finished dressing Kyungsoo and adjusting his collar, Kris slipped on his beanie and made sure his ears weren’t visible and his tail was tucked down one of his pants’ legs, unnoticeable. One thing that Chanyeol helped him with doing when he first came to stay with them and learned that Junmyeon didn’t mind if Chanyeol went out on his own during the day.

He willed the tears away, they were going to find a way to get him back. He was sure of it, he knew that Junmyeon was too hurt right now to do anything, and he didn’t fault the man for it. He knew the soft heart that Junmyeon had, Chanyeol told him about it all the time, and Kris learned over time that Chanyeol wasn’t lying, the man had the softest heart that he’d ever seen in a human.

He picked Kyungsoo back up and headed out the front door, throwing glances at the door of the neighbor’s apartment, he didn’t miss the sight of the window that had the small crack in it, like it did before. He made a small mental note at that.

The apartment was quiet, he couldn’t detect any sounds coming from it as he walked on down the sidewalk. He couldn’t even catch the sounds of snoring, almost like the apartment was empty. And maybe it was? Maybe the man took Chanyeol somewhere?

He tried not to let his imagination ponder too much into that thought, the fearful feeling he had needed to stay at bay for him to think clearly.

\--

“You stay here, stupid mutt,” Mr. Park tied Chanyeol’s leash to the little post meant for hybrids or pets when their owner didn’t want to take them through the marketplace. “Don’t go anywhere or I’ll find you and add ten more beatings to the ones you’re already sporting.” He glared down at the bruised eye and reddened area of Chanyeol’s cheek that he kept hitting last night when Chanyeol tried to fight him. Those were the only ones visible, the rest were under the torn clothes he was wearing now.

The ones that Junmyeon had gotten him that he brought Chanyeol home in, those were thrown in the trash. Chanyeol was back in the old clothes he used to have at his owner’s house. He noticed they were a little tight now, and he realized that he used to be tinier than he was now. Since he’d been with Junmyeon, Chanyeol had full meals three times a day, not the scraps and small bits of food he’d been given by Mr. Park.

Chanyeol nodded quietly, carefully sitting down at the post, pulling his legs up to wrap his arms around as he watched his owner disappear down through the marketplace. It would be too much to hope for that Junmyeon would come through, it wasn’t like he could do anything if he did. Mr. Park stated he had papers of ownership over Chanyeol, Junmyeon couldn’t do anything against that.

Chanyeol belonged to Mr. Park. He didn’t belong to Junmyeon. His name was _Park_ Chanyeol, not _Kim_ Chanyeol.

“Oh, dear, what are you doing out here?” The elderly lady asked, spotting and recognizing Chanyeol. She was the elderly lady that sold him the hotteok all the time, always doting on and giving Chanyeol ear rubs. She reached down to pay his head, and gasped when she saw the condition of his face, “Oh, my dear, what happened to you? That sweet boy wouldn’t have done this to you.”

Chanyeol wanted to open his mouth to reply, but he feared what might happen if he did. Mr. Park never allowed him to speak, he was to be seen, not heard. He feared that if Mr. Park was nearby and heard him speak to the woman that he might get hit again.

He hesitated but she kept asking who hurt him, his eyes filled with tears, “I… he took me from him...” he was about to clarify but she seemed to know what he meant.

“Someone took you from that sweet boy?” She asked, and Chanyeol couldn’t stop himself from nodding. It wasn’t the whole truth but it was the truth of the matter. He wondered what exactly she could do to help him… it still wouldn’t stop Mr. Park from taking him back home. She patted her pockets, searching for something, “Oh darn, I left my phone at my stand. Wait here, puppy, I’ll call the police and they’ll help you get back to that sweet boy.”

He nodded, “I will… thank you.” He watched her disappear through the crowd, heading back to her stand that was deeper into the marketplace.

It was a few minutes later though that he spotted Mr. Park coming through the crowd, a few bags in hand. Chanyeol dropped his head, hoping that the adjumma might come back soon. But the black shoes that stepped up into his line of vision crushed that hope, the fiddling with his leash and then he was yanked up by it.

“Come on, mutt, we’re going back home now,” Mr. Park grumbled, pulling the leash and tugging Chanyeol forward down the sidewalk.

“Yah!” A distant voice came from the entrance of the marketplace. Mr. Park didn’t even look back but Chanyeol did, eyes widening when he saw the adjumma. “Stop! That’s not your dog! Mister! Yah!” He saw her try to run after him, but he knew she wouldn’t make it far, for being an elderly woman. But in her hand was her phone, if anything, she’d call the police, and Chanyeol wondered where that would lead.

“Keep your head down, stupid mutt,” Chanyeol’s head was jerked back down, head bowed as he was lead on. “I don’t know what that old hag was yelling about but it’s no concern of mine or yours.”

“And you said that he was stolen from his owner?” the short black haired officer asked, writing down the details in his notebook.

“That’s what he told me. That man had him tied out to the pet post, when I saw him, I thought that was strange. That puppy is always coming through the marketplace with a sweet boy, that boy spoils him something fierce, that’s why I thought it was strange that he was there,” she pointed at the pet post, “and not by his owner’s side, like usual.”

The officer nodded, writing down some more, then he looked up at her, “Can you give me the details of the man that took him? Can you remember what he looked like?”

She thought for a moment, “It was really just a glance, I saw most of his backside honestly. But the profile, he looked older… middle age, maybe? Ugly. Shaggy black hair.” Her eyes widened, “Wait, I recognized one of the bags he had, from one of the shops. It was from Hyangmi’s gejang stand.” She waved him after her, “Come with me, she has a sharp memory, she can describe him better than I can.”

The officer followed after her, and was lucky enough to get the details of the man from the other woman. From the adjumma that called the report in, Sehyun, he got the description of the dog hybrid that was taken. After he wrote down everything, he bowed to them both, promising to look into the case and get the hybrid back to their rightful owner.

“Everything good, Minseok?” His partner, Jongdae, called over the radio.

He called back, “I got the details from the elderly lady that called it in. With the description of the man and hybrid, we have something to go on. She gave me the description of the dog hybrid’s actual owner too, but no names. He was a regular customer of hers, but she never did get his name.”

There was a pause on the radio call, “Okay, at least we have descriptions, come on back to the officer and we can start the paperwork.”

“Roger that.”

\--

By the time that Kris had finished explaining everything that happened to Kai and Sehun, the two were livid. They knew something was off when Kris and Kyungsoo came into the store without Chanyeol or Baekhyun in tow, they were expecting Junmyeon too, but figured he might’ve had some unexpected business to take care of. But after the details that Kris told them, they pitied the man.

“What can we do?” Kai looked at Sehun, turning to Kris and then back at Sehun, “Is there anything we can do?”

Sehun glanced over at Kyungsoo as he was quietly pressing the keys on the piano, the little cat hybrid looked like he was upset, even though they made sure he was preoccupied so he wouldn’t hear. He sighed, “I don’t know, if he’s got adoption papers then he has legal rights to Chanyeol and there’s nothing that the police or a lawyer can do. I can try proving that Chanyeol is being abused by Mr. Park, but it wouldn’t do anything because he’s doing what he wants with his _property._ ” Sehun scowled as soon as he used the word. He hated referring to an individual as that term, but in the eyes of the law, that’s how hybrids were viewed.

Kris had hoped to hear something different from the two, thinking they had the answer to the situation, but he couldn’t help the whimper that fell from his lips at the hopelessness of the situation. “We can’t just leave him there, Chanyeol told me what that man did to him, and I worry that it’s going on right now too… isn’t there a way to help him escape it, at least?” He ran his hand through his hair, frustrated, “I ran away from my master… Chanyeol can too, right?”

Sehun shook his head, wishing he had something better to go with, but he didn’t. “Even if he did, and just went back to Junmyeon, if Mr. Park knew that, he could have Junmyeon arrested. The adoption papers have him as the owner.”

Kai hummed, looking between the two before he glanced at his computer, eyes slowly widening. “So the adoption papers have Mr. Park as the owner now… but I can change that.” He pointed at the little editing program on his desktop.

One that Sehun quickly started shaking his head, “No. No, no, _no_ , Kai. That’s very illegal.” He repeated, emphasizing, “ _Very_ illegal.”

“You know my editing skills are the bomb. You needed classes for multimedia programs, I was already a whiz at it,” he stated proudly. “No one would know the difference.”

Sehun shook his head again, “No.” But seeing the look in Kai’s eyes, he knew that no matter how much he tried to discourage the man, it wouldn’t be any use. He sighed, “I can’t be part of this,” he reached in his pocket and pulled out his business card, “But!” He turned to Kris, giving him the card, “If, and I mean, if Kai gets away with this, you’ll need to give this to Junmyeon. He’s going to need a lawyer.”

Kris took the card, staring at the two in confusion, wondering what exactly was going on. He didn’t understand what Kai was saying and from what Sehun said, it must’ve been bad.

Sehun grabbed his jacket from the chair, leaning down to kiss Kai, and then started out the door, “Let me know how it goes, but no details. I can’t be involved in this.” He winked at Kai though, “Good luck, babe.”

Kai grinned, blowing him a kiss as Sehun left. He turned back to Kris, “Okay, Kris, I’m going to have to ask you for a favor.” Kris nodded, wondering what the favor could be. “I need you to get me the adoption papers from Mr. Park’s apartment. If I can get those papers and find out what adoption agency had Chanyeol, I may have some strings I can pull.”

Kris’s eyes widened, “What? How…?”

Pointing at the little program on his desktop and then to the large printing system beside the computer, “This is how I’m going to save Chanyeol. I’ve also got some connections at the police station too, my cousin works there, Kim Jongdae. He might can help us too.”

“Okay… but how?” Kris asked.

Kai gave him the full details of what he needed him to do and what he was going to do once they got their hands on the right papers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it's short but I didn't want to leave you guys hanging for too long.


	10. Part 10

It wasn’t until Monday that Kris saw an opening for his plan to work. He kept a check on the window that he’d informed Kai of almost always being opened. That was his small chance to get inside the house, to get those papers and to also check on Chanyeol. Like Junmyeon, Mr. Park left the house early that morning. He recalled the man said he worked second shift last week, and when Kris asked Junmyeon about his neighbor’s work schedule, through tears and sniffles, Junmyeon told him that he worked rotating shifts all the time.

And this week, Kris supposed he worked first shift. Kris was up and moving around when Junmyeon got up, it wasn’t very surprising since the alarm on the bedside table had him waking up. The four of them had crowded into Junmyeon and Chanyeol’s bed, mostly to comfort Junmyeon and keep him from being alone.

Kris did help in making some breakfast for Junmyeon before he left, just a simple scrambled eggs and toast. He’d learned from Chanyeol how to make eggs and they were the easiest thing to cook for him. As he bid a gloomy Junmyeon a good day at work, he noticed that Mr. Park was back in the uniform he had on the other night, he was leaving out his front door too. A few steps ahead of Junmyeon down the sidewalk.

After he went back into the apartment, Kris quickly went to their bedroom to peek out the curtains and was relieved when he saw the window cracked open that was almost always cracked. That was his opening.

He went and checked on Kyungsoo and Baekhyun to see the two still fast asleep, and then slipped on his shoes and hoodie. He went out the backdoor of Junmyeon’s apartment and snuck up to the window. He looked around to make sure no one was watching but the street and sidewalk looked dead. Probably from being so early in the morning.

Pushing up the window, he opened it enough to crawl through it, and landing inside what looked like a bedroom, it smelled terribly of cigarettes. He froze when he looked around and spotted the dog hybrid tied to the bed.

“Chan… Chanyeol?” Kris called, stepping up to the bed, quickly reaching out to him, causing the dog hybrid to stir awake. He blinked up at him with one eye, the other one was swollen shut. “Oh, gods, Chanyeol.”

Chanyeol’s eye widened, “Kris! What are you doing here? You can’t be here-”

“I had to see you, he’s gone to work now, and he won’t be back for a little while, I asked Junmyeon for confirmation about that,” Kris scanned over the rest of Chanyeol’s face and down his body, seeing the dark spots that littered here and there. He grimaced and feared the worst if he pulled back the blanket covering the dog hybrid from the chest down. Tears filled his eyes, “I have to get you out of here, I’m so sorry, Chanyeol.”

Chanyeol shook his head, whimpering, “You can’t. I belong here… if I leave and come with you, Junmyeon will be in trouble. I can’t go with you.”

Kris shook his head, trying to suppress a sob, “I-I know… Kai… Kai is working on a plan to help bring you back home. I told him about everything Saturday… he’s going to work hard to get you back, him and Sehun. We’re going to bring you back home, to us, where you belong, where he won’t hurt you anymore, I promise.”

The dog hybrid shook his head, “I don’t see how he could. I belong to him, I’m his pet. He owns me… the papers-”

“The papers are what I need. I need to find those and bring them back to Kai,” Kris looked around at the mess of a bedroom. Clothes thrown about, trash littered the floor around the trash can, used condoms thrown in the general direction, Kris tried to keep his mind from thinking of those, he turned to the dresser in the room, “Do you know where he might keep those papers?”

“There’s some things in the dresser drawers… he keeps a lot of his old girlfriend’s stuff in the bottom drawer though. I don’t know why he still has the stuff,” Chanyeol watched through a watery eye as Kris got up and started going through that drawer, looking through papers and small things that Chanyeol remembered his owner giving his girlfriend, even some underwear of the woman’s. “Is it in there?” He wanted to get up and help look but he was still tied to the bed, he couldn’t ask Kris to untie him either. If he wasn’t in the same place that Mr. Park left him when he returned home, Chanyeol would face another beating for disobedience.

It was in that moment that Kris was glad that Chanyeol taught him how to read, because the more he looked through the papers, he recognized words easily. Seeing small things until onto the middle of the stack, he came across something that had Chanyeol’s name on it. He read more and saw Mr. Park’s name, full name Park Seunggu.

The headline of it was the Seoul Hybrid Adoption Shelter. Kris had found it. This was the paper he needed. He flipped on through the rest to see if there was anything else but nothing else had anything about adoption. So it was just one paper.

“I got it,” Kris smiled, looking over the paper, setting it to the side and putting everything back into the drawer, trying to place things like they were before he took them out. “This is the paper that Kai needed.”

“What was he going to do with my adoption paper?” Chanyeol asked, curiously looking up at Kris.

“He said something about having an editing program on his computer… I guess he was going to try and edit the document to show that you belong to Junmyeon instead of Mr. Park,” Kris looked over the paper.

Chanyeol gaped at that, “But that’s-that’s illegal. He’ll get into trouble for doing that!”

Kris nodded, “Sehun already told him that, but he’s convinced that he can get away with it. Something about having connections with the police force.” Kris shrugged, “I didn’t care about whatever he had planned as long as it brought you back home to us.”

Chanyeol couldn’t say anything against that, lip wobbling again, and tears filling his eye that wasn’t swollen. Kris didn’t want to leave him but now that he had the paper, he needed to get to Kai’s music shop now. To give him the paper and let him get to work on the plan.

“I don’t want to leave you here, Chanyeol… but I have to go,” Kris leaned down beside the bed and cupped Chanyeol’s face in his hand, careful of the bruising parts. Chanyeol’s gaze fell to Kris’s lips, and Kris didn’t wait for him to ask, leaning forward, he pressed his lips to Chanyeol’s.

Fortunately there wasn’t any injury to Chanyeol’s lips, and while Kris tried to keep the kiss soft, Chanyeol pressed for more. Only pulling back when Kris pulled back. There was a softness in Chanyeol’s expression tinged with a slight teasing.

“It took all this for you to finally kiss me properly, huh?” Chanyeol questioned, trying to make light of the situation, but his expression dampened when Kris tried to laugh but it came out choked, watery. “I love you, Kris, pass my kiss onto Junmyeon too, yeah? I love you both… get me out of here, yeah?”

Kris pressed a quick kiss to Chanyeol’s lips again, “I will, we will, we’re going to bring you back home, Chanyeol. I love you.”

He felt so wrong for pulling away from Chanyeol, for moving back to the window and leaving the dog hybrid where he lied, tied to the bed, for slipping out of the window. And when he got back to the backdoor and safely inside Junmyeon’s apartment, he couldn’t stop himself from breaking down and crying against the backdoor. The paper in his hands had to be Chanyeol’s saving grace, it had to be.

\--

Junmyeon stared at his phone for the longest time on the lunch break, he hardly touched his food at all, it was just something small and instant. He wouldn’t have even warmed it up if it hadn’t been for his assistant, Yixing, breaking him from his train of thought. He’d been thinking about what to do all day long yesterday and Saturday, in between crying himself to sleep and crying while he was awake.

He’d cried so much yesterday that it had given him a headache, and it was still lingering slightly.

But there was one thing that kept going through his mind, and he feared it but also felt like he had no other choice but to do.

“Mr. Kim? Are you feeling okay today?” The little five year old had stepped up to his desk, taking note of the man’s forlorn spirit. In fact, all the students knew something was wrong when the man entered the classroom that morning, and his usual smile wasn’t there on his face. “You look so sad.”

Junmyeon had to will the tears from his eyes, shaking his head, “I’m okay, Taeil, just… you remember me talking about my hybrid? Chanyeol?”

The boy lit up, eagerly nodding, “Mhm, your dog hybrid, I got to meet him that one time when me and Umma were at the marketplace. He was nice.” Then his eyes widened, “Did something happen to him?”

“I lost him, sweetie.”

Taeil started to reply but Yixing’s voice spoke up, looking over at him from his desk where he was eating his lunch, “You lost him? How?”

Junmyeon sniffled, grabbing a tissue to wipe his nose, tears working their way into his eyes no matter how much he tried not to cry, “Someone took him.”

“Oh, that’s awful, I’m so sorry, Junmyeon,” Yixing reached out and patted his shoulder, “Did you go to the police, do you have any idea who took him?”

Junmyeon decided it best to lie, he shook his head, “No, I’ve been in such a mess since he went missing. I think I cried most the weekend over him.” He held up his phone, “I was debating about calling them now but I don’t know how much help they’ll be.” They wouldn’t be any, Junmyeon wasn’t the rightful owner of Chanyeol, no matter how much he wished he was. But Yixing didn’t know that.

“Go make the call now, it’s better than nothing, I’ll watch the kids till you get back. We still have twenty minutes for lunch,” he smiled, looking up at the clock on the wall.

Junmyeon nodded, standing up from his chair, and quietly left the room. He went to the teachers’ lounge to make the call. But it wasn’t to the police, it was to someone else. The only other person that he knew would have the funds to help him. He meant it when he said that he would pay whatever price it took to get Chanyeol back and this was him following through on that.

 _“Hello? Junnie, is that you?”_ The elderly woman’s voice came through the earpiece of the phone.

“Umma…” Junmyeon started, and he was fine before he made the call, but now, after hearing her voice and knowing what he had to say, he just wanted to cry. With a wobbling lip, he finally spoke the words he needed to say, “Umma, I need your help.”

\--

Kai looked up from his magazine when the bell to the front door chimed, running into the shop was Baekhyun and Kyungsoo following after him. Kris was behind the two, and in his hand was a sheet of paper. A wide grin crossed Kai’s face.

“You found it?”

Kris nodded, “I got it.” He stepped up to the counter, handing it to Kai and looking over at Kyungsoo climbing up on the seat in front of the keyboard and Baekhyun struggling to get seated on the stool that was behind the drum set.

He walked over and helped the little tike up onto the stool and reached to get the drum sticks for him, handing them to Baekhyun and letting the rabbit start beating on the small drum. The music of both the drums and keyboard filled the air around them as he walked back over and sat down behind Kai as the man looked over the paper in front of him.

“This is great, Kris,” Kai pointed at the headline of the paper, reading over the Seoul Hybrid Adoption Shelter. “I have a friend that works there, and I know I can talk him into helping us.”

Kris’s eyebrow rose, “But how? I thought you were going to print off a different version of the paper?”

“I was, but now that I see that it’s _that_ adoption shelter, I can go through the actual system to have this paper edited, and it’ll be better if it’s on file at their office too. If the police are called and find Chanyeol in that man’s house, beaten and abused, and if that guy can’t find this adoption paper claiming that Chanyeol is his, the police can resort back to the original adoption shelter for confirmation in their database.

“If I can call up my friend there, Luhan, and get him to edit the records, or even print off new adoption forms with different information and file it away with the same dates as this one states, then it looks like Chanyeol was Junmyeon’s all along. _And_ , this is why Sehun gave you his business card to give to Junmyeon, everything that Mr. Park is doing to Chanyeol now? That’s damage to Junmyeon’s property, as much as we hate that term when addressing hybrids, but in the eyes of the law, Chanyeol is Junmyeon’s property, and he can either seek compensation for the damages or charge Mr. Park with damaging his property.

Kai shrugged, “The latter could send the man away to do some time for a little while, but he would be out of everyone’s hair for now.”

Kris stared wide-eyed at Kai for the longest, mouth gaped open, “You… you’re a genius, Kai.”

The man grinned back at him, shaking his head, “I’m not a genius, I just have good connections, and Chanyeol is a good friend of mine. I’d go through hell for him, and I know he’d do the same for me. The same if it was you, or Baekhyun, or Kyungsoo. I love you guys.”

“Chanyeol is lucky to have you,” Kris smiled, fondly.

“He’s lucky to have you too, and Junmyeon, and the kids, and all of us. We’re all working to get him back. I know Junmyeon’s not here right now, but I bet he’s working on a strategy to get him back too.”

“He is, but I think he’s thinking of offering Mr. Park a large amount of money for Chanyeol back,” he stated, recalling the way that Junmyeon kept talking about paying any price.

Kai nodded, “Any person with that means would try to do so, but just think, as long as Mr. Park had this paper, he could’ve pocketed the money and still kept Chanyeol.”

Kris hadn’t thought that, but it was true, Mr. Park could’ve taken that route. And seeing the kind of person that he was, it was more than likely a possibility he would take that route.

Kai turned back to his computer, reaching for his cellphone, “I’m going to call Luhan right quick and explain to him what I need. We’ll get the ball rolling then.”

The veterinarian stared at his computer screen, at the file that he had pulled up, the voice in his ear from the phone explaining the situation to him. He looked back into the office to see that the place was dead right now, no customers, and his receptionist was out for lunch right now.

“You do know how much trouble I can get in, if anyone finds out about this, right?” He stated, pulling up a blanket document with and started filling out the form, the same dates, same times, the correct information about the dog hybrid, and then the new owner that his friend was telling him about. “I could lose my license, I could go to jail for falsifying documents. And you’re sure that that’s the only copy of the adoption paper that man had?”

_“Mhm, I had someone check, it was the only copy. And stop worrying, Luhan, this is for a good cause. That poor doggy is getting abused, beaten! Don’t you want to help him?”_

Luhan winced at that, trying to keep the mental image out of his head. The shelter he ran wasn’t the best, but it was the best he tried to make it. But he’d gotten cases all the time of hybrids being beaten, sent back beaten black and blue, and then some owners even brought their hybrids in after they’d hurt them enough for them to require medical attention. He hated having to let the individual go back with their owner, but there was nothing that he could do to stop it. Not until some laws were changed or passed to help hybrids.

“And this other guy? The one that has been keeping the dog hybrid is better?” He read off the note that Kai gave him of the man’s name, “This Kim Junmyeon?”

 _“By a_ _landslide. The fucker is practically a saint, so think, which would you rather the doggy be with? A saint or Satan himself?”_

“Okay…” he still sounded uncertain, but Kai didn’t usually lie about those kinds of things. “I’ll fax you over a copy of the finished document, you have to get Kim Junmyeon to sign it where the X is at the bottom, okay? I’ll go ahead and sign my copy.”

 _“Sweet! You are a lifesaver, Luhan,_ _literally! I can’t thank you enough, Chanyeol will be forever grateful for you too.”_

Luhan scoffed, “You owe me big time for this.” Then he cleared his throat, “And as long as that dog hybrid is in better hands, I’m glad to be of service.”

_“I’ll take you out to dinner next week, yeah? You, me, Minseok, and baby Tao. I can bring Sehun and we’ll have a double date.”_

Luhan laughed, “You’re just bringing your lawyer boyfriend so he’ll pay for the meal,” Kai’s laughter filled the speaker, “but I’ll hold you to it.” He ended the call, finished up the document on the computer screen, and sent it to the fax machine. He printed out an extra copy to have in their filing cabinet in case the computer systems went down.

He stared down at the hybrid’s name on the paper, murmuring “Good luck, Chanyeol.”

\--

It was half surprising and not to see the person standing in the doorway as Junmyeon opened it. Kris and the babies weren’t home right now, but Junmyeon knew where they were. Back at Kai’s music shop. But the person standing right there in the doorway, luggage bag in hand, and her free arm outstretched was someone that Junmyeon never thought he’d need like this.

As soon as she embraced him, he broke down into tears in her shoulder. Carefully, she ushered him back into his apartment and closed the door, she set her luggage bag down near the coat stand and lead them over to the couch. Junmyeon was still in tears, wiping at his nose with his sleeve until she pulled out one of her handkerchiefs and gave to him.

“Baby, this hybrid… he means a lot to you, doesn’t he?” She eyed him curiously, and he tried to define any kind of judgment in her stare but all there was was concern. It surprised him, she always just thought of hybrids as pets, he knew she didn’t care for them, not like how he did.

“He does, Umma,” Junmyeon whimpered out, finally admitting the truth to her about himself and the situation, “I love him.”

In the phone call earlier that day, he didn’t tell her exactly what was going on, just bits and pieces through his sobbing, but she knew that he needed her. And that’s when she boarded the first flight up to Seoul and was there in tiny to no time for her child.

“You love him,” she repeated, looking at him, “Junmyeon, you can tell me the truth of the matter. I had a feeling that you were gay for a little while after that last girl that I tried to set you up with. She told me things, and that’s when I started thinking. I just wish you hadn’t kept this a secret from me.”

His eyes widened, “How…?”

“Then you introduced me to Chanyeol, a gorgeous little puppy he is, and I saw the way that you two looked at one another, and I knew my suspicions were true. That’s why after you told me what you did on the phone, I had to come to you. I had to do something for my baby,” she patted his cheek softly. “I just wish I didn’t make you feel that you had to hide that from me.”

“I didn’t know how you’d take it… you always said hybrids were just pets. They should stay in their place as pets… I worried you might try to make me get rid of Chanyeol if you knew… and then the fact that I prefer men to women…” Junmyeon sniffled, wiping his nose with the handkerchief.

“For me, they’re just pets. I loved mine that I used to have, yes, but as a pet. Not a lover,” she corrected him. “But you love Chanyeol, and he made you so happy. The last time I saw you with him, you looked like you’d found the one that hung the moon for you. I wouldn’t do something foolish as to tell you to get rid of him. Why would I do that?”

He shrugged, “I don’t know… I just thought… I was scared… and just…” he shrugged, “I don’t know.”

She took his hand in hers, “Well, now you do.” She patted his hand, “Now tell me what’s going on, what do you need Umma to do to get Chanyeol back to you? I don’t like seeing my baby hurt like this.”

Junmyeon slowly began telling her the situation, how everything started, and where they were now. He even told her about the other three hybrids that he found and gave a new home to. And he didn’t realize just how good it felt to finally come clean with all these things to his mother. All these wasted years, he spent keeping things undercover, or at least, trying to, because he thought she might think differently, they were all in vain. She openly accepted and listened to everything he told her.


	11. Part 11

The two ate in silence at the beginning of the meal, the only sounds coming from the little panda hybrid as he struggled to pick up the food with his small fork from his high-chair. The little one babbled away in a childish gibber as he was determined to spear the fork into the carrot, but he refused any help from his parents. Pouting or whining when Luhan tried to reach over and help him.

“We’ve got a little independent one on our hands,” Minseok laughed, watching the scene. His eyes lit up when Tao finally captured his carrot, grinning when the baby quickly stuck it in his mouth and started chewing. He cooed, “I’m so proud of my Mr. Independent.”

Luhan laughed, “He’s a handful already, I can’t imagine how he’ll be in a year or two.”

“And then when he hits his teen years,” Minseok groaned, already imagining the headache that the little one would be. Then he smiled fondly at Luhan and then at Tao, “But I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

It was quiet again, until Luhan finally spoke up, it was something that had been eating away at him all day, since Kai’s phone call with him. He couldn’t keep it a secret from the love of his life, despite his lover being an officer of the law. But he knew that Minseok would be understanding.

While they were a happy family now, the conditions that they had to go through in order to get Tao wasn’t the easiest. Nor the best. Minseok was the one that found the panda hybrid, it was through one of the drug cases that he was investigating. The owner of the two month old panda hybrid had a breeding ring going along side his drug pushing, and Tao was one of the offsprings from the latest. The rest of his siblings were too sickly or poor to survive but Tao was a fighter.

Luhan was the one that ended up with Tao in his care after the police found him, being one of the popular shelters that the police left unclaimed or lost hybrids with. Minseok and Luhan had been married to one another almost three years prior to finding Tao, and the way that Minseok hovered over the panda hybrid at the police station, the shelter, and even visiting on his breaks to see how the little one was recovering, Luhan knew that Minseok had fallen in love with the the little tike.

It was hardly any feat at all to get papers signed up and they gathered up the money to pay off the adoption fees, and now they had a little one to care for.

“Kai called me today,” Luhan took a quick sip from his drink, gaze meeting Minseok’s. “He wants to have dinner with us sometime, a small dinner date, his treat. I think he wants to show off his new _lawyer_ boyfriend.”

“Oh?” Minseok cleared his throat, gazing dropping back down to his plate as he cut up another piece of the chicken and brought it to his mouth, he chewed. It did sound like something that Kai would do, wanting to flaunt his big time boyfriend, but he knew there was something more to it. Gaze returning to Luhan’s, he could already tell that there was more to the story from the way Luhan looked at him, “What favor did he ask for?”

“He needed my help. With the old adoption of one of the hybrids from the shelter,” Luhan looked back at Tao, seeing him poking at another carrot, smiling softly when he successfully got it this time without much struggle. “There’s a dog hybrid in trouble and he wanted me to help-”

Minseok stopped him, eyes wide, “A _dog_ hybrid?”

“Yeah,” Luhan nodded, “His name is Chanyeol. Why?”

“It’s just we had a call in Saturday at the marketplace, an elderly lady reported that someone had stolen a dog hybrid from the owner. I haven’t been able to find out who the owner was, nor who the person that took him is, but… I wonder if it’s the same dog hybrid? What did he need you to do?”

Luhan hesitated, he set down his chopsticks beside his plate, “Something that you would disapprove of, but after he told me the details, I couldn’t really refuse to help him.”

Minseok frowned, he reached over the table and took Luhan’s hand, “Tell me about it. Behind these walls,” he nodded towards the inside of their home, “we’re just two partners, not a vet or a cop.”

Luhan sighed, gaze on their hands, “He wanted me to _fix_ some documents for him, for the hybrid actually. From what he told me, someone else had taken in the dog hybrid, Chanyeol, from his original owner, and that person treated the dog hybrid better than his original owner. But now the original owner took him back, and is abusing the dog again.” Luhan shook his head, “Knowing that the dog hybrid was from my shelter, while I can’t remember them, the veterinarian before me probably knew him, but I felt compelled to help.”

Minseok patted his hand, “Of course, why wouldn’t you want to help him?” He hummed, “With what you said, it could be the same dog hybrid the elderly lady told me about. She said his face had been busted in a few times and he was tied out to the pet post, she said that was when she knew something was wrong. The man she believed to be his owner never did that.”

“It does sound like that could be Chanyeol… you said you hadn’t had any leads?”

He shook his head, “No.” Then he paused, “But that could be why there wasn’t a missing person report, other than the elderly woman calling it in. If the second owner didn’t really own the dog hybrid, he couldn’t file for a missing report. Especially if the original owner just took the dog back.”

“What can you do with this case, Minseok?” Luhan cleared his throat, hanging his head in shame when he finally confessed to what exactly he did, “The file that I edited, _now_ , would give the second owner the right to claim his hybrid back… he could file a missing person report.”

Minseok hummed, nodding that Luhan was right, the second owner could, but he saw the way that Luhan looked ashamed at what had done, “Look up at me, Luhan,” their gazes met again, “What you did was wrong, but like I told you before, we’re just being honest with one another like partners need to be, the vet and the cop are outside these walls. _But_ I have a lead now on this case, give me the name of the new owner, and I can go question him, and finalize the missing person’s report. It’s still on Jongdae’s desk right now.”

Luhan looked back up at him, the one thing that worried him the most in this case after hearing Kai’s story about the hybrid, and then hearing what Minseok told him, “Will you be able to save that hybrid then?”

“I’m going to try,” Minseok smiled. “Pick a date and let Kai know when we can make the dinner date.”

Luhan nodded, then mumbled, “What about the actions I took?”

“We get anonymous tips all the time,” Minseok shrugged, deciding on what to use in the report, “One of the vendors at the marketplace knew the second owner by name, and we got their name from them but they want to keep their identity quiet. It happens all the time.”

“Okay… I just don’t want you to think of me as a criminal. I did what Kai asked me to do because I believed it to be the right thing,” Luhan murmured. “The way that the shelter was run before I took over, I can’t make up for all those mistakes the old vet did, but I’m still trying to help out… where I can, anyway.”

Minseok shook his head, chuckling, “I wouldn’t have married you if I thought you were a criminal, Luhan, and I know all about the things that used to go on at that shelter, you told me all about it during your internship there.” He shuddered at the memories of those things, “But at least now, it’s better for the ones in your care now.”

“Ba-B-Baba…” Tao’s little voice spoke up, the two turning to him to see him looking at his empty plate and then at Luhan. The next few words he said were all gibberish, but Luhan knew what he wanted.

Minseok laughed, “At least he’s got your name down, he still can’t even say mine.” He shook his head, placing some more carrots on Tao’s plate, “And I’m the one that spoils him the most!”

Luhan laughed, “Baba, Appa, maybe he can’t say a’s yet.” He turned to Tao, getting the little panda’s attention, “TaoTao, can’t you say Appa? Ahhh-ppa?” He pointed to Minseok, “Appa. Ahhh-ppa.”

Tao turned his attention back to the carrots on his plate, completely ignoring Luhan now. Too focused on eating now than trying to say the word. Minseok and Luhan shook their heads.

“He’ll get it eventually.”

\--

Junmyeon set down the two cups of tea on the table, one in front of his mother, and the other in his spot. After the tears and confessions that he told her, he felt better. His eyes hurt from all the crying he’d done today and the previous days, but he did feel better. The way his mother offered to help him get back Chanyeol made him hopeful.

“And you said you have three more hybrids staying with you too? Where are they?” She asked, curiously looking down the hallway from where she sat at the table, turning back to Junmyeon.

He glanced at the clock, “They should be on the way home soon, they’re visiting one of their friends at the music shop not far from here.”

Her eyes widened, “They’re out there without a leash? On their own? Junmyeon, that’s illegal. You could get fined for it.”

“It’s okay, Umma, the older one, Kris, that I told you about, he hides his ears and tail good enough to pass as a human. They do this all the time.” Junmyeon’s voice dropped, almost whispering glumly, “Chanyeol used to do this all the time.”

She hummed, but still disapproved of the explanation, “Just make sure they’re careful. This Kris you told me about, you’re interested in him too?” Junmyeon’s eyes widened, he looked up at her, and she had a knowing glint in her eyes. She laughed at his expression, “I can’t wait to meet the other hybrid then.”

It was quiet between them again, until his mother finally spoke up again, “Will he take money for him? Is that man money-hungry?”

Junmyeon hesitated, “I don’t know. That was the route that I figured I’d have to take to get him back… who could turn down a large amount of money?”

“Let Umma take care of that then,” she said, pulling out her checkbook from her purse, already beginning to fill it out, but leaving the amount blank.

Just as Junmyeon was about to reply, the opening of the front door caught their attention, and then the sound of two pairs of socked feet came running through the living room and into the kitchen. Baekhyun and Kyungsoo looked excited at first to see Junmyeon but then froze when they saw the elderly lady sitting at the table.

Kris stepped up behind them, “Guys? What’s-” he started to ask why they stopped but he also paused upon seeing someone new in the apartment. He glanced at Junmyeon then back at the elderly lady, recognizing Junmyeon’s features in the woman’s face, and he could already put two and two together. This was Junmyeon’s mother.

He clutched to Kyungsoo’s shoulder while Baekhyun backed up against him, keeping close to him. He was still uncertain about other humans, even though he’d warmed up to Junmyeon, Kai, and Sehun. Plus what Junmyeon told him about the way that his mother viewed hybrids, he stayed cautious.

“Oh, you three must be the new hybrids that Junnie was telling me about,” she smiled, and Kris realized that she had the same smile as Junmyeon. It was kind, her eyes crinkled up like Junmyeon’s, and while it did ease some of the tension from Kris, he was still cautious. Unsure of what to make of the situation.

Until it hit him that Junmyeon probably called her for funds. He said before that his family was rich, and while he did make good wages at his job, he probably didn’t have the amount that his family had. And it seemed like Junmyeon was willing to offer any price to Mr. Park to get Chanyeol back.

When he glanced at the paper on the table, he recognized it as a check, his previous owner wrote more than he cared to remember, but that’s how he knew what it was. And seeing as Chanyeol wasn’t in here, the two hadn’t made the man an offer yet.

“Um, Junmyeon?” Kris looked up at Junmyeon, holding up the paper that Kai gave him, “Kai sent this to you… he said you need to sign it and keep it with you.” The two little ones in front of him hesitated at moving but as Kris moved, they moved in step, sticking close to Kris until Baekhyun neared Junmyeon and crawled into the man’s lap.

Their eyes were still glued to the elderly lady in the room. She waved at the two, being polite, but they were still unsure of her. Kyungsoo stuck with Kris, opting to move to the backside of Kris, peeking out from behind the man’s hip. Junmyeon took the paper from Kris, eyes scanning over it before widening, mouth falling open. He looked up at Kris, then back to the paper, he glanced at his mother before his gaze fell back to the paper again.

“How…? How did… this isn’t-this can’t be right. This is illegal, I’m not-I can’t be-” He was at a loss for words, on one hand, he was happy, but the other, he was unsure.

His mother was concerned then, but Kris was already speaking up, “Kai said it’s legit. He said that he had people he knew at the adoption shelter that helped him get this document. It’s all legit.” Before Junmyeon started to continue, Kris got both Kyungsoo and Baekhyun’s attention, “Hey, guys, go on into the living room and watch some cartoons, okay? The grownups need to talk.”

Hesitant at first, the two went off into the living room, the television sounding shortly after. Kris knew the two were still curious about the elderly lady being here, Junmyeon’s mother, but he didn’t want them knowing about Chanyeol. As far as they knew, he was still just missing.

“But what about the document that Mr. Park has?” Junmyeon set down the paper, and then his mother reached over to pick it up, reading it over. “He still-”

Kris shook his head, “He doesn’t.” At Junmyeon’s questionable look, he grinned sheepishly, “I may have taken it…” Junmyeon’s eyes widened, he clarified, “I had the perfect opening too, Junmyeon, I had to get the document so that Kai could use it to make this one,” he gestured at the paper, “and I had to make sure that Chanyeol was okay.”

When Kris mentioned Chanyeol, Junmyeon reached for Kris’s hand, the matter of the document was completely forgotten, “How is he? Is he okay? Please, tell me he’s okay, Kris.”

Kris squeezed Junmyeon’s hand softly, eyes turning sad, “He’s… he’s okay. That man’s been hitting him though… among other things.” The way that Junmyeon’s eyes started watering made Kris’s own start.

Junmyeon shook his head, biting his lip before finally murmuring, “I promised him that he’d never have to go through that again… I told him that he was safe here…” he whimpered, causing his mother to start to get up and comfort him but Kris pulled Junmyeon to him, letting his arms embrace the man as he cried against his chest.

“It’s okay, Junmyeon, we can get him back now, and you were right, he was safe _here_ , inside your home, his home… _our_ home. He’s safe in here, and now all we have to do is bring him back home.” Kris hushed the man’s crying, kissing the top of his head, uncaring that the man’s mother was right there, staring at the two’s interaction, but mostly her concern was her son crying.

She cleared her throat, “He’s right, Junnie, this paper says that you’re Chanyeol’s rightful owner. I assume this was gotten through illegal means, but if the document that Mr. Park had no longer existence, then the law is going to see him as your hybrid.”

Junmyeon sniffled, shaking his head, “But it’s still illegal, if someone pulled the records, they’d see that-”

“They would see that Chanyeol is your hybrid too,” Kris butted in, “I told you, Kai had connections with the shelter, and they’ve already fixed the document to where it shows that you’re the real owner.”

Junmyeon’s mother nodded along to Kris, sliding the paper back over to Junmyeon and pulled a pen from her purse too, handing it out to him, pointing to the line that required his name, “Bring that sweet puppy back home now, Junnie. I don’t want to keep seeing my baby crying.”

Wiping at his eyes, Junmyeon took the pen from her, hoping for the best with this as he slowly signed the dotted line where Kris pointed to. And now, according to the document, Junmyeon had adopted Chanyeol exactly seven years ago, at the hybrid’s age of three. He would’ve been around Kyungsoo and Baekhyun’s age then.

“Now, come on down with Umma to the police station,” Junmyeon’s mother finished her tea and stood up, grabbing the paper and pen to put back in her purse. “We’re going to file a missing person’s report and then the police will take matters from there.”

Junmyeon looked up at Kris, then at his mother before standing up, he didn’t let go of Kris’s hand just yet, opting to hug the wolf hybrid. Something that Kris didn’t turn down, and the wolf was glad that his mother was looking away because he pressed a soft kiss to Junmyeon’s cheek before letting go of him.

“Thank you, Kris… I have to thank Kai big time for this, I can’t repay you or him enough for this,” Junmyeon mumbled.

Kris chuckled, “Bring Chanyeol back home and that’s all the thanks we need.” He nodded towards the living room, “I’ll take care of the house while you do that.”

Junmyeon nodded, looking down at himself, “Let me clean up myself before we go. I’ll be right back.” He made his way down the hall, leaving the two in the kitchen.

And that’s when Kris felt awkward, out of place, especially when Junmyeon’s mother looked him over, smiling. She reached out her hand, and he was unsure of what she wanted at first, but then she spoke, “Thank you, Kris, for looking after my baby during all this.”

He smiled, still a bit hesitant around her, but she seemed like she was a nice woman, it was just that Junmyeon’s words kept going through his head about her view of hybrids, “It hasn’t been a problem, I care for Junmyeon. And for Chanyeol.”

She nodded, “He told me about yourself and Chanyeol. I’m glad he’s finally got someone to look after him, two individuals at that. I worried about him being lonely, never dating or introducing me to a lady, but I can see that he’s far from being lonely.”

Kris wondered how much Junmyeon did actually tell the woman, but the way she looked at Kris, like she knew, and what she’d just said, he must’ve told her everything. Kris and Junmyeon weren’t fully open to one another yet, he’d confessed to the man, and the feeling was returned, but since the problem with Mr. Park came up, they hadn’t had the chance to focus on themselves.

The ringing of the door bell stopped Kris was retorting to that, he wondered who it could be visiting right now, but Junmyeon’s mother was already making her way to the front door. The television’s volume was turned down by Kyungsoo as the two looked at the front door. Kris stood close behind her, cautious of whoever it could be.

She opened the door, and eyes lit up to see two police officers standing on the porch. “Can I help you?”

The black haired officer that reminded Kris of a cat due to his eyes spoke up, glancing into the apartment, eyes finding Kris before turning back to the elderly woman, “Is this Kim Junmyeon’s residence?”

“Yes, that’s my youngest son. I’m his mother, Kim Jumi, we were just about to leave to come down to your station,” she chuckled softly, looking back through the apartment, “My son is in the bathroom right now.”

He nodded, “Ah, I’m Officer Minseok, and this is my partner, Jongdae,” he pointed to the brown haired man behind him, “would the reason for your visit to the station be about a missing hybrid?”

Her eyes widened, “Yes, my son’s oldest hybrid, a dog named Chanyeol, he’s taken up missing.” She clarified, “You see, my son has been down in Busan the last three days visiting myself, and I decided to come back with him for a few days. We noticed he was missing when we returned home.” Kris’s eyes widened at the lie that the woman just told, but figured she knew what exactly to say for their story to work. Especially since she knew about the forging of the ownership document. She handed over the paper from her purse, “We were heading down to the station to give you this.”

The black haired and brown haired officers looked over the document, they both looked like they knew something more than they were letting on, Kris could see it in their eyes, but they looked back up at the elderly woman, seemingly convinced by her story.

“I see, we were wondering why Mr. Kim hadn’t reported his dog missing yet, but that explains his delay if he was out of town.”

Junmyeon’s mother’s head tilted to the side in confusion, “Pardon?”

The brown haired officer, Jongdae, spoke up, “We had a call Saturday from the marketplace just down the street, not far from here, about a strange man having possession of the dog hybrid, Chanyeol. The elderly woman that reported it, Lee Sehyun, she runs-”

“She runs the hotteok shop,” Junmyeon’s voice spoke up, startling his mother and Kris, he’d been too focused on the two officers that he didn’t realize that Junmyeon had walked up to them. “I always treated Chanyeol to hotteok when we went to the marketplace, she’s his favorite vendor.”

Minseok and Jongdae’s eyes scanned over Junmyeon’s appearance, something in Minseok’s eyes flickered, something that Kris still couldn’t figure out. But the brown haired officer nodded, “Yes, the hotteok shop. She called it in Saturday that she saw your hybrid with someone else. Can you think of anyone that would want to steal your hybrid?”

Junmyeon shook his head, glancing up at Kris, then back at the officer, “I couldn’t believe that anyone would taken him from me.” He’d heard the story that his mother told the police about his absence the last few days, and decided to work the story, “When I usually go out of town to visit my mother, my hybrids are always safe in here. They know not to go outside without myself present.”

Minseok looked at Kris then at Junmyeon, “Is he the only other hybrid you have?”

“No,” Junmyeon motioned towards the living room and Minseok peered in to see the cat and rabbit hybrids on the couch, “I have four in total.”

Minseok nodded, looking back at Kris, “I see. And when did he notice that Chanyeol was missing?” His partner was taking notes of everything said.

“Saturday morning,” Kris mumbled, “I sleep in a separate room from Chanyeol, me and the little ones do, but when I got up that morning, Chanyeol wasn’t in his room, the window to the bedroom was open too. I thought that was strange… since it’s still too cold to sleep with a window open.”

Minseok hummed, “So you left out that Friday night then, Mr. Kim?”

He nodded, “After I got out of school, I’m a teacher at the Seoul elementary school. I came back by to get my bags and kiss my babies before I left."

“And you can’t recall seeing anyone out of the ordinary before leaving that Friday?” Minseok asked, and continuing, to explain his question, “It’s possible that someone could’ve been waiting for you to leave to sneak in and kidnap your hybrid. The windows in your apartment, do you lock them?”

Junmyeon nodded, “I do, but they’re old windows… any little bit of prying and you can end up opening it from the outside.”

The officer, Jongdae, glanced at the side of the apartment, looking over the windowsills. “These apartments are pretty old…” he trailed off when he saw the neighbor beside Junmyeon walking up the steps of his porch.

The man glanced over at the two officers on the front of Junmyeon’s porch before quickly looking away. He quickly unlocked his front door and entered his apartment. But Jongdae had already recognized the man’s face, seeing the man’s features, and remembering exactly the description that the other vendor at the marketplace gave him. He looked back at Minseok, to see the man had saw the neighbor too, the two sharing a look.

“Do you think you can find who took my son’s hybrid?” Junmyeon’s mother got their attention again.

“We’re going to try, Mrs. Kim,” Minseok vowed, then looked back at Junmyeon, “We may have some more questions to ask you later on, but would it be alright if we kept this for the time being?” He held up the adoption document.

Junmyeon nodded, “S-Sure… do I need to come down to the station for anything? For the missing person’s report.”

Jongdae spoke up, “The case has already been opened, but now that we’ve got this little bit of information from yourself, we should be good for right now. But like Minseok said, if we have any more questions, we’ll be back.” He started down the steps of the porch but stopped when Minseok spoke back up.

“Do you think your neighbor might’ve seen anything that night or that morning?”

Junmyeon shrugged, despite how much he wanted to scream that yes, his neighbor saw something that night. He saw himself taking Chanyeol from him. But he couldn’t say that, instead opting for another reply, “He works different hours all the time… rotating shifts, I’m not sure if he might’ve or not.”

Minseok nodded, “Okay, figured it was worth a shot. Thank you, Mr. Kim, we’ll be in touch if we get anything.”

Junmyeon’s mother closed the door as the two officers walked away from the porch, she sat down on one of the chairs in the living room, Kris and Junmyeon sitting on either side of Baekhyun and Kyungsoo on the couch.

“I think that black haired officer knew we were lying,” Kris stated, looking at Junmyeon. “Or he knew more to the story than what he was letting on.”

Junmyeon nodded, “I got that vibe from him too… the way they looked at Mr. Park when he walked up his porch too… it’s like they knew he was the culprit… Sehyun from the hotteok shop might’ve given them his description.”

“Must have…” Kris mumbled, he turned back to the television, staring at the moving pictures, his mind going over everything that the officers talked about and then everything that Kai told him. Then it finally hit him, “Kim Jongdae… he’s Kai’s cousin.”

Junmyeon’s eyes widened, “How much do you think Kai told him? If he’s one of the officers on the case?”

“I don’t know… Kai just said that he could help us get Chanyeol back.”


	12. Part 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Minor mentions of noncon/rape  
> Read with caution.

Kim Minseok and Kim Jongdae both got back into the police cruiser after leaving Kim Junmyeon’s apartment, they sat there for a moment, staring at the neighbor’s apartment. The curtains in one of the back room moved slightly and they could see someone peering out of them at the car. Minseok glanced over at Jongdae to see the man watching too.

He started the car, putting it into gear, and pulling off, “Park Seunggu, that’s the name that your cousin gave you, wasn’t it?”

Jongdae nodded, pulling out a separate notebook from the one he used for police business, he flipped through and found the page, “Yep, Park Seunggu. Unless we can find some sort of means to search that man’s apartment, we can’t do anything right now.”

Minseok looked back at the apartment in the rear-view mirror before turning back to the road in front of him, “The woman at the marketplace said he went to the marinated crab stand… let’s hope he makes a trip there again this weekend.”

“You think he’ll have Chanyeol with him?”

“One can only hope,” Minseok murmured, “You sure you’re okay with this case? It’s going against everything we stand for.”

“I am,” Jongdae held the adoption paper that Junmyeon gave them up, reading over it, “Kai rarely lies to me about this kind of stuff, and the vibe I got just from seeing that neighbor of Junmyeon’s… I want that dog hybrid in a better place.”

“After what Luhan told me about the case and what Kai told him… I just can’t stop thinking about what I would do if that was Zitao in that position. God knows I’d fight tooth and nail for that child.”

Jongdae chuckled softly, “You’ve already proven that, remember, I was your partner on that case too when we found him.” He shuddered at the memory of that night.

It was one of the first major cases that they’d had, and the sight of the inside of the warehouse was awful. It was dirty, filthy, some hybrids were locked in cages, starving, half-dead, all covered in their own filth. The mother of Tao was lying dead in the cage with Tao’s siblings all around her, some had frozen to death, some had starved, and then there was little Tao on the brink of starvation.

They tried to save all the hybrids that they could, but some had later died at the veterinary. But Tao was one of the few that pulled through, Jongdae wondered the longest if it was just cause Minseok stayed by his side for as much as he could. He still had to be pulled away to fill out reports of the night’s events, but then he was back by the little panda’s side. But at least Tao knew he wasn’t alone.

Maybe that’s what helped him pull through. 

“The other three hybrids that Junmyeon had, they looked to be in good health,” Minseok’s voice broke Jongdae from memory lane.

“Kai mentioned that he had more than one, talked about the wolf hybrid that we saw, and spoke a little about the two younger ones,” Jongdae commented. “He told me that they were strays that Junmyeon found, odds are there aren’t any papers on them.”

Minseok hummed, “There should be. Next time I see him, I’ll ask him to make an appointment with Luhan to get those three registered.”

\--

“You sure you don’t want to stay the week, Umma? Or at least for the night?” Junmyeon asked, they were seated at the kitchen table, he was plating some of the food that he’d ordered in for them.

She shook her head, “I’m sure, Junnie, it looks like you don’t need me here now, those two officers will sort it out with Chanyeol, and Kris came through with that document too. I’ll leave you the check that I filled out, just in case you still need it.”

Junmyeon’s eyes widened, “You don’t have to-”

“Take it,” she slid it over, “If anything, you’ll need a lawyer in the end with all this. Use it to pay the lawyer. Just get Chanyeol back.”

Looking down at the check, the amount was still blank, he looked over at Kris then back his mother, “I’ll get Chanyeol back.”

She smiled, “I know you will, when you do, bring the family down to see Umma more, yeah? It’ll give me the chance to spoil my two new grandchildren too,” she nodded towards Baekhyun and Kyungsoo, the two were too busy eating to pay attention to the conversation. She smiled softly at them.

Junmyeon and Kris’s eyes widened at the term ‘grandchildren’, but after the talk that her and Junmyeon had, he believed that she fully accepted him and his lifestyle.

“I’ll make plans to when summer vacation comes up,” Junmyeon nodded.

“Good, I look forward to it. I’ll have a whole trip planned out for us.”

Once dinner was over, Junmyeon walked down to the bus stop with his mother, carrying her luggage bag. The day was getting longer, thankfully it was still daylight outside. The two sat in silence for most of the wait on the bus.

“I’m glad you finally told me about yourself, Junnie,” his mother spoke up. She stared up at the clear sky, “Your father might’ve not understood, but seeing how you were happy with Chanyeol all the times you visited me, and the way you take care of little Baekhyun and Kyungsoo, and seeing how Kris looks after you… it’s really no different than what your brother and his wife have. Some differences in minor details, but it’s more than obvious you’ve got a loving home.” Her hands found his, patting the top of it.

He looked over at her, but her gaze was still on the sky, he looked up too, the sun was starting to set, changing the colors in the sky. He wondered if his father was looking down on them right now. What would he say? Would he have understood like his mother did? He didn’t let him mind wonder too much, just happy that his mother was open to what was his life.

“Thank you, Umma… for understanding,” he smiled, “I’m sorry for not having to tell you sooner.”

“I’m sorry for whatever I did that made you think you had to keep it all a secret,” she finally looked over at him, “I love you, Junnie, and no matter what, you’re still my baby boy.”

“I love you too, Umma,” Junmyeon letting go of her hands in exchange for an embrace.

“Let me know how it turns out with Chanyeol, okay? Get that sweet puppy back.”

“Hyung, what did that old lady mean when she said for Junmyeon to get Chanyeol back? You two said he was missing, but did someone take him?” Kyungsoo mumbled as Kris rinsed out Baekhyun’s hair. He was playing with the water toys that Junmyeon bought him as he waited his turn for Kris to rinse the shampoo out of his hair.

Kris hesitated, Baekhyun was peeking an eye open at him to see his response too, “Close your eyes, Baekhyun, I don’t want to get soap in them,” after Baekhyun shut his eyes, he knew that the little rabbit was still listening, “Someone did take Chanyeol, that’s why we haven’t gotten him back yet-”

“That’s why those two police were here earlier?” Baekhyun asked, eyes still shut as Kris poured more water down the backside of his head.

“Yeah, they are helping us look for Chanyeol,” Kris replied, rinsing the rest of the shampoo out of Baekhyun’s hair.

“Will they find him? Junmyeon has been sad ever since he went missing… I’m sad too, I miss Chanyeol,” Kyungsoo murmured, eyes turning misty, “He let me cook with him… and cuddle with him when we watched TV… I really miss him, hyung.”

Kris turned to Kyungsoo, letting Baekhyun go back to playing with his toys now that the shampoo was all washed out, now it was Kyungsoo’s turn. “We all miss him, Kyungsoo, and they’ll find him, I promise you. They’ll bring him back to us.”

Kyungsoo closed his eyes when Kris started washing out the shampoo from his hair, the sound of water splashing from Baekhyun’s toys filled the air around them. He sniffled here and there, thinking of Chanyeol and how the house seemed more quiet now without the dog hybrid. Although Kris and Junmyeon tried to keep everything hush between them about Chanyeol, Kyungsoo heard some of the things they said. Something about a Mr. Park.

He just hoped that they’d bring Chanyeol home soon.

“Hyung, do we belong to Junmyeon now?” Baekhyun asked, causing Kris to pause in pouring some more water down Kyungsoo’s hair.

Kris shrugged after a moment, “You could say we do-”

“So we’re staying here forever then? You aren’t going to want to leave anymore?” Baekhyun asked, recalling all the times before when Kris kept saying that they couldn’t stay there forever.

Kris laughed softly, knowing why the little one was asking that, he shook his head, “No, I don’t want to leave anymore.”

“Good, cause I like living here. Junmyeon is good to us, Chanyeol was good to us, and you’re happier now too. We noticed it since we started staying here,” he nodded towards Kyungsoo, “You get to eat with us too… and you’re warm now, when you held us before in that old box we lived in, we could feel that you were cold too.”

Kris’s voice dropped, “I was… it was hard then, Baekhyun, to find us shelter, food, and I tried to make sure you two were fed before I was-”

“That’s why we’re glad you’re staying here with Junmyeon, you get to eat with us. And it’s good food, some of the food you got us was yucky,” Baekhyun stuck his tongue out, to emphasizing his point. Kris chuckled at it, but it fell short.

“It was all I had, Baekhyun.”

“I know,” Baekhyun looked up at him, “I’m just glad you didn’t decide for us to leave Junmyeon after that first night.”

Kris looked over at him, “I am too.”

Surprisingly after Kris finished giving the two a bath, they retreated back to their room to crawl into bed. After the big meal and warm bath, they were ready for bed. Since Chanyeol was missing, they usually opted to sleep in Junmyeon’s room, crowding the bed with all four of them.

Junmyeon had already made his way back to the apartment by the time they’d gotten out of the bath, he was cleaning up the kitchen and sorting through the laundry to start. His back was turned to the doorway as he put clothes into the washer when Kris stepped up to the doorway. He leaned against the door frame and watched Junmyeon for a moment.

“The babies are asleep in bed now,” Kris stated once Junmyeon added the detergent and closed the top of the washer.

“I didn’t think it’d take long for them to wind down after a bath,” Junmyeon laughed, he turned the setting on the washer and stepped away.

“They’re in my bed tonight, so you shouldn’t have a crowded bed tonight,” Kris clarified, the two walking out of the backroom after flipping off the light. They started down the hall, Junmyeon stopping in front of his bedroom, and Kris hesitated about continuing to his room.

Junmyeon looked up at him, hand on the doorknob of his room, “Do you… would you want to stay with me tonight?”

“Do you want me to?” Kris questioned, staring at Junmyeon.

The wolf was more than willing to, but wanted to make sure with Junmyeon. The things he confessed to that night before Chanyeol was taken were left in the hanger for now. There was a time and place for it, and he didn’t want to make any advances with Junmyeon still in grief over Chanyeol, and he didn’t want to do anything without Chanyeol there. It just didn’t feel right if Chanyeol wasn’t there. He was part of each of them, the other half to both of their hearts.

Instead of answering, Junmyeon rephrased his question, “Do you want to? You don’t have to… if you don’t want to, I don’t want to push you into anything, Kris.”

Kris chuckled softly, moving up to Junmyeon, his hand covering Junmyeon’s on the doorknob, “You’re not pushing me into anything, Junmyeon. I’ll stay with you tonight, I _do_ want to hold you… just nothing else. Until Chanyeol comes back… I don’t want to do anything more.”

Junmyeon nodded, “Thank you… I feel the same. There’s a piece of us missing right now.”

They pushed the door open and entered, Junmyeon began getting things ready for bed, setting out his clothes for work in the morning along with getting dressed for bed. Kris tried not to stare as Junmyeon stripped out of his button-down shirt and into his white t-shirt, but he had to admit that Chanyeol was right about Junmyeon having abs.

He knew that if Chanyeol were right here now, he’d make some kind of comment about the abs and say something that would have Kris’s face flaming up. The thought of the dog hybrid put the small want for Junmyeon’s body out of his mind, god, he missed Chanyeol.

Kris opted to sleep in the clothes he had on, pulling back the blankets to settle into bed, he watched Junmyeon as the man bustled to get everything in order for him in the morning. Until finally the man was finished and slipping into bed too, he set the alarm on the bedside table and then turned lied his head back on the pillow. The lights finally off now.

Junmyeon moved over slowly to Kris’s side, and the wolf hybrid wasted no time in taking the man in his arms, letting Junmyeon cuddle up to his chest. “Your mother was more pleasant than I thought she would be. At least from what you told me about her.”

“I think that was because of what I told her before you three came home today,” Junmyeon mumbled, looking up at Kris from where his head lied against Kris’s shoulder. He saw the question in Kris’s eyes, “I told her the truth about myself… about Chanyeol… about you. I was surprised that she accepted it.”

“You told her the truth about _everything_?”

Junmyeon nodded, nuzzling back into Kris’s chest, “Everything, she said she had suspected that I liked men after the last woman she set me up with… when it didn’t work out. And then she saw the way that I was with Chanyeol when we went to visit… I think she knew then, but didn’t say anything. I think she was waiting for me to finally say something.”

Kris pressed a kiss to the top of Junmyeon’s head, “That’s good, I’m glad she accepted you… and us. I was surprised when she said that about Baekhyun and Kyungsoo, her two new grandchildren.” He chuckled, “Something tells me that she’ll spoil them worse than you do.”

Junmyeon laughed too, “She will. My two nephews love going to her house anytime the occasion comes up, she buys them whatever they want, gives them whatever they want, it’s a disaster, honestly,” he shook his head, smiling to himself, “But I think Baekhyun and Kyungsoo could do with a little more spoiling.”

Kris’s hand found Junmyeon’s that was clutching his shirt, grasping it softly, “I think so too…” he sighed, listening to each other’s breathing for a moment. “We’re going to bring Chanyeol home, aren’t we?”

Junmyeon squeezed Kris’s hand softly, “We are. I don’t care what means we have to take anymore, we’ll get him back.”

\--

Chanyeol stood in front of the stove, fixing the man’s breakfast that was seated at the kitchen table behind him. He limped back and forth to the fridge when he needed some of the ingredients, but mostly stayed in front of the stove. He tried to imagine himself back in Junmyeon’s apartment, cooking his lover’s breakfast, but he couldn’t will it to his mind. Not when the smell of cigarettes was in the air, and the coughs that occurred every now and then.

When Chanyeol plated the food and placed it in front of Mr. Park, he took his place in the corner of the kitchen on the floor. That was where he was told to stay until the man decided to throw him some scraps of whatever was left of breakfast.

“You make eggs just like she did,” Mr. Park stated, spooning more into his mouth. “But of course, you do. She held you like a little baby on her hip every time she made breakfast. It was bound to take up some part in that tiny brain of yours.”

Chanyeol remembered that, he was a lot like Kyungsoo when it came to learning how to cook. Plus he loved his other owner too, at first, and was always curious whenever she did something like cooking. She was more than happy to show him how she made different things. Almost doting on him like he was her child. _Their_ child.

She always hummed while she cooked too, something that Chanyeol used to think about after she left and he was still here in this apartment with this man. It was a sweet tune. One that Chanyeol hoped to hear again after she left and when Mr. Park turned violent towards him.

The plate being set down in front of him snapped him from his thoughts, there was hardly any food left but it was enough for a few bites, “Finish that and wash the dishes.” He stepped up to the fridge, rummaging through the shelves, sighing to himself, “After you finish the dishes, we’re going to the store. I don’t have anymore alcohol.”

Chanyeol nodded shakily, and even though he was disgusted at what he was resorting to do, the growling from his stomach kept him from refusing to finish the remainders of the food on the plate. He picked it up and slowly moved to the sink to wash up the plate and the frying pan. Mr. Park watched him until he walked away, down the hallway, and when he came out, he was in his coat, the leash in his hand.

He knew the routine now, and lowered his head to let the man clip the leash onto the collar. Luckily it wasn’t as cool outside anymore, at least not today. He stole a small glance over at Junmyeon’s apartment to see that it was quiet, he could hear Kris’s voice behind the door, followed by Baekhyun’s. Kyungsoo was always so quiet that he couldn’t hear much from him, and he just assumed that Junmyeon was at work right now.

It’d been almost a week since Mr. Park took him back. And Chanyeol didn’t know how to feel yet. Hopeless? Kris’s words that morning when he snuck in kept playing through his mind, and kept him from feeling hopeless. Sad? He was sad, he ached in his body but also in his chest, his heart ached.

To be ripped away from loving hands and be placed back into hands so hard and so cold… it made him want to cry. If it wasn’t for the fact that he was left tied to the bed at night with Mr. Park snoring away beside him, he’d cry himself to sleep every night. But he knew if he woke the man up that he’d end up with more bruises than he could count the next morning.

Other than a punching bag and a warm body, he believed that’s all Mr. Park wanted when he got Chanyeol back. That’s all he’d been used for.

He kept his head down as they walked down the sidewalk, Chanyeol stayed close so that he wouldn’t be yanked around. He didn’t look up to see who was passing by either, his gaze staying on the concrete under his feet. When they got down to the corner store, Mr. Park tied his leash to the pet post outside, pointing at the ground.

“Sit. I’ll be right back out, don’t talk to anyone, don’t look at anyone, got it?"

The dog hybrid nodded, keeping his head and gaze down as he carefully sat down on the cold concrete. The hard surface hurt, but he tried to shift as little as possible to keep from being yelled at again, trying to find a position that wouldn’t make him hurt as much.

He didn’t know how much time passed as he watched the shoes of people passing by, he could heard his owner talking to the store clerk, the sound of glass rattling against glass and a bag moving. He knew what was coming tonight when they got back home when Mr. Park said he needed more alcohol. The man had the day off today, so he already knew what kind of night he would end up having.

The only thing he hoped for was that the cuts from the broken glass wouldn’t be severe.

The memory of that night that Junmyeon took him in played over in his mind, that night was almost similar to this. In fact, it was the same liquor store that his owner had went to before that night came.

_The dread had already set in Chanyeol’s bones as he heard the glass bottles clinking against each other in the bag as they made their way back to Mr. Park’s apartment. His feet slapped against the concrete, and it was the only noise that he tried to concentrate on more, but the glass was still louder._

_Mr. Park yanked on his leash when he noticed that Chanyeol was a little too far away from him, pulling the dog up to his side. He grabbed the mop of brown hair and pulled Chanyeol’s face up to look at him._

_“Stop falling behind or I’ll make sure you can’t walk at all when we get home,” he glared at the dog, leaving Chanyeol to whimper softly, the hand in his hair was harsh, but finally Mr. Park let him go, letting Chanyeol look back down again, making sure to stay in step with the man._

_Once they made it back to the apartment, Chanyeol sat back down in his corner, curled up, arms around his knees as he stared at the dirty spots on the carpet in from of him. He listened to the television playing, some sports game was on, and his owner was cheering or cursing whenever a good or bad thing happened in the game. He could hear each bottle that was emptied as they were sat down on the side table next to Mr. Park._

_It wasn’t long until the man’s cheers and curses started slurring, and that’s what had Chanyeol shivering in fear. He hesitantly looked up, through his long curly bangs, and saw the man finish up another bottle. He quickly ducked his head down when Mr. Park looked over at him, his eyes harsh and red. His body shook, waiting for whatever was going to happen when the breaking of a glass bottle rang out over Chanyeol’s head._

_He didn’t know what happened at first, but after getting rained on by shards of broken glass, he realized that the man had thrown the bottle at the wall over him. He felt some of the glass cut him, it littered his hair, and he felt a nick on his left ear. He whimpered, arms coming up to shield his head when another bottle was thrown at him._

_It hit the wall and Chanyeol didn’t have time to register being assaulted by more broken glass because his arm was being yanked up, causing him to stand up, and then Mr. Park’s hand hit his face. Slapping him hard, and he realized the reason why. He had whimpered. He made a noise. When the glass cut him, he made a noise. He wasn’t supposed to make any unnecessary noises._

_The stench of alcohol was strong on Mr. Park’s breath as he pushed Chanyeol against the wall and then started ripping his clothes off. He pushed Chanyeol down and towards the bedroom, muttering about getting his ass in the room. Out of fear, Chanyeol obeyed, and after the bedroom door was shut, Chanyeol couldn’t stop himself from crying out and begging the man to stop._

_When it all came to an end, Mr. Park half-heartedly pushed Chanyeol out of the bedroom and through the living room to the front door. Chanyeol was still naked, but Mr. Park threw him the dirty sheet from the bed. He was pushed out onto the front porch and the door was shut in his face._

_Mr. Park’s muttering about him being too loud and giving him a headache was the last that Chanyeol heard before he lied curled up under the sheet and cried._

_He didn’t know how long it had been that he’d lied out there, shivering and crying, but the soft hands and soft voice calling his name had him pulling the sheet from over his head. There, kneeling down on the porch, dressed for bedtime, it seemed, was Junmyeon. Sadness and concern etched across his face as those dark brown eyes looked over Chanyeol’s face. Odds are, he saw the dried blood of the cuts from the broken glass._

_“Come on, sweetie, come with me,” Junmyeon reached out his hand to him. “I’ll take care of those cuts.”_

_Chanyeol stared at the hand outstretched to him, he hesitated, but then realized that he had no reason to. This was Junmyeon. The person that often saw him tied to the porch at night or left out in the cold, and the man always brought him either a coat or a blanket to stay warm with. He saw the dog hybrid starving and brought him food countless times. This was the man that had cared for him, even though Chanyeol wasn’t his responsibility._

_He slipped his hand into that warm palm and didn’t know that that decision would’ve been the best one he’d ever made._

_The rest of the night after he stepped foot into Junmyeon’s apartment was spent with his cuts being treated, getting cleaned up, given some of the loosest clothes Junmyeon had, fed, and then Chanyeol was led to Junmyeon’s bedroom. Chanyeol wasn’t exactly sure what to expect once he saw the bed, but Junmyeon turned down the blankets, fluffed up the pillow, and beckoned Chanyeol to the spot._

_“You can have my bed tonight, it’s more comfier than the couch,” Junmyeon reached over and switched off the alarm on the clock beside the bed. “You won’t be needing that, so you can rest easy and get as much sleep as you need, okay, Chanyeol?”_

_When Chanyeol settled into the bed, Junmyeon pulled up the blankets, and tucked him in. “If you need anything throughout the night, I’ll be in the living room, okay? Just call me or come to me.”_

_A hesitant smile crossed Chanyeol’s face, the soft pillow and warm blankets already calling for sleep to him, his voice came out low, a tinge of fear in it, from the countless times he’d been hit for making any sound, “Th-Thank… you.”_

_After Junmyeon turned out the lights, and left the room, Chanyeol listened for him as he stopped by the bathroom and then went to the living room to get settled on the couch. The soft snoring that shortly followed was what Chanyeol listened to as he slowly fell off to the best sleep he’d had in a long time._

“Chanyeol?” The calling of his name snapped him out of his thoughts, he didn’t recognize the voice, and looking up, he didn’t recognize the face either, but he knew what the man’s badge said, he knew what kind of suit that was. The man’s eyes were gentle, so was the brown haired man that was standing behind him. “Your name, it’s Chanyeol, isn’t it?

Slowly, Chanyeol nodded, curious and confused about the two police officers in front of him. “I… my-my name… is Chanyeol.”

The black haired police man smiled, softly, “I’m Officer Kim Minseok, and this is my partner, Kim Jongdae. Your owner has been looking for you,” and that confused Chanyeol, why was Mr. Park looking for him? He was right there in the store, and Chanyeol stayed in the place that the man left him in. He made sure that he did so he wouldn’t face any- “Kim Junmyeon?” Wait, what? “He told us that someone stole you from him.”

Chanyeol’s eyes widened, he glanced at the inside of the store, wondering what was going on. Junmyeon wasn’t his owner… Mr. Park was… no matter how much Chanyeol wished he wasn’t. Then he turned back to the officer, to see the man now looking into the store, more like glaring into the store. The harshness in the man’s eyes faded back into the soft gaze when he looked back at Chanyeol.

“Is the man that took you in there?” He nodded towards the store, and hesitantly, Chanyeol nodded again. He was unsure of what they were going to do, but if it meant that he’d be back with Junmyeon instead of here, he’d gladly agree and go with whatever the police officer asked him. Minseok turned back to his partner, nodding towards the store. “Go and have a little _chat_ with our thief, Officer Jongdae.”

“Got it,” the brown haired officer replied, hand on the pouch where the cuffs were on his belt. Chanyeol’s eyes widened at that, were they going to arrest Mr. Park?

“Now, Chanyeol, would you like to come with me?” He reached out his hand to Chanyeol, and Chanyeol stared at it. Almost like deja vu from his memories. It wasn’t Junmyeon’s hand, but it was a hand that lead him back to Junmyeon. “I’ll get you back to your family.”

The tears that started welling up in Chanyeol’s eyes at those words had the officer’s eyes softening, a slight wetness to the man’s eyes too. Chanyeol wiped at his eyes, bottom lip wobbling as he placed his hand in the officer’s. Finally allowing a smile to his lips when that hand clutched to his, helping him stand up. Minseok untied his leash from the pet post and ushered him over to the police cruiser, he reached in and called over the radio to request another car.

And when the loud shouting of Mr. Park started when the store’s door opened, Chanyeol realized why. A car for himself and then a car to carry Mr. Park. The man’s hands were behind his back, the cuffs were missing from Jongdae’s belt, and Chanyeol could put two and two together. It still didn’t stop him from whimpering and cowering in fear when the man saw him and started shouting at him.

One thing that Minseok quickly shielded him from, letting the dog hybrid curl into him to hide his face from the other man. “It’s okay now, Chanyeol, you’re safe. I won’t let that man hurt you anymore.”


	13. Part 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some scenes may be triggering, and explicit language. Read with caution.

Chanyeol sat on the soft-padded table in the veterinary office, it was the same one that he’d been adopted from. But the inside must’ve changed over time, it didn’t look as dirty as it did when he was in here. The head veterinarian wasn’t the old man that was there when Chanyeol was a pup. It was a young, blonde haired male. He looked almost the same age as Junmyeon, maybe a little older.

He looked over Chanyeol’s bumps and bruises after getting pictures, putting plasters and ointment on the fresh cuts. He prodded areas around Chanyeol’s stomach to make sure nothing was damaged inside him, the dog hybrid didn’t realize how badly his stomach area looked until his shirt had been peeled off and the dark blue and purple bruises were on full display. That’s why the vet started examining his stomach, to make sure nothing had been ruptured.

Then he went on to check all of Chanyeol’s limbs, to make sure nothing was broken. And then the rough part came, the blonde vet asked him to shed his pants so he could check for any abuse to his nether regions.

When Chanyeol hesitated, the blonde male paused with the details he was typing on his report, “It’s okay, Chanyeol, I’m not going to hurt you.” He reassured, but still, Chanyeol’s fingers tightened around the waistline of his pants. “If you want, your owner, Kim Junmyeon, should be on the way here, we can wait until he’s here with you before continuing?”

The mention that Junmyeon was coming had Chanyeol relaxing, but at the same time, he didn’t want Junmyeon seeing what that man had done to him. There was the time before that Junmyeon treated Chanyeol when he took him in, and Chanyeol could remember seeing the look in Junmyeon’s eyes when he saw what had been done to Chanyeol, and he didn’t want to see that kind of hurt in the man’s eyes again.

This time, he knew that Junmyeon would blame himself for the condition that Chanyeol was in. Even if it wasn’t his fault. No one was at fault here except that evil bastard of a man, Mr. Park.

Luhan finished typing the current details then turned back to Chanyeol, “We can wait if you want, Chanyeol. I don’t want to make you any more uncomfortable than it is.”

Chanyeol shook his head, chewing on his bottom lip. He finally sighed, glancing at the door of the room before his gaze fell to the floor. He opened his mouth, then closed it, he tried again, “It-it’s… it’s okay. I… I’m sorry…” he unzipped his pants, and slowly pushed them down to pool at his feet.

“You don’t have anything to be sorry about, Chanyeol,” Luhan assured him. He tried not to grimace too much at the sight of the hand-shaped bruising on Chanyeol’s hips. Luhan pulled on another pair of gloves, slowly stepping up to Chanyeol’s side, murmuring soft reassurances to the dog hybrid as he looked over the bruising first. “Can… can you lie on your side for me, Chanyeol?”

The dog hybrid carefully moved to his side, face flaming up when he felt the man’s gaze look over him. He tried to will the wetness filling his eyes away. Through the drawn blinds on the door, he could see the officer that had brought him there, he was talking to someone with their back turned to the door. He tried to think of other things as he felt the vet finish the examination.

“Okay, you can get dressed again,” Luhan stated, then paused, “Although, we should have some clean clothes that are your size around here. I’ll find you some, okay?”

Chanyeol sat up and started pulling up his pants as Luhan stripped off his gloves and started typing some more things onto his laptop. It was a report of everything that the police needed to know about what happened to Chanyeol. From what the officer, Minseok, told him, Park Seunggu would be going away for a long time for damaging Junmyeon’s _property_ , property being Chanyeol.

He knew that much, Sehun told him about cases like that a lot. Some cases were won and others fell through. Under normal circumstances, he would’ve felt insulted to be referred to as property, something that Minseok apologized for when using the term, but in this case, as long as it brought him back to his real home and he didn’t have to see Mr. Park again, he didn’t care.

“Okay, we’re done with the examination,” Luhan closed his laptop, “I am going to recommend some ointment for your backside, you appear to have some tearing but the ointment will help fight against any infections and help with the pain.” He picked up the laptop and started towards the door, “I’ll be right back with some clean clothes for you.”

Chanyeol watched as he left the room, his hands gripped his pants legs, nervous. And he knew that until he saw Junmyeon come through the door, he wouldn’t stop feeling nervous. He did feel relieved when he saw the officer still outside, and when he heard the man’s voice as he talked to the other person. He made Chanyeol feel like he was safe.

“How bad is it, doc? Is he going to be okay?” Minseok asked as soon as he saw Luhan come out of the room.

Luhan sighed, shaking his head, “He’s okay, he’ll be okay, just… the things that man did to him.” He set down the laptop at his assistant’s desk, opening it and pulling up Chanyeol’s file for her. “I’ve seen cases like this before, Minseok, and it never gets easier.”

Minseok’s fist clenched, wanting to go back to the police station and give the man responsible for that a piece of his mind… and his fists, he cleared his throat, “His owner is on the way, he had to find a substitute for his class since his assistant teacher is out with the flu.”

“That’s good, Chanyeol needs all the love and support he can get right now,” Luhan walked over to the supply closet, “I’m going to get him a change of clothes so he’s out of those dirty ones…” his voice lowered, looking up at Minseok as he grabbed the pants and shirt, “Has Jongdae told Kai yet?”

“I sent him a text to let him know about Chanyeol, Jongdae is too busy with the report, and having Mr. Park in our custody now,” Minseok stated. “I’ll need copies of your report on Chanyeol’s abuse, Mr. Park hasn’t asked for a lawyer… yet. But I know it’s coming.”

Luhan ushered Minseok to follow him, he stepped back into Chanyeol’s room, the hybrid looking up and his eyes falling on the clothes first before seeing Minseok entering the room too.

“Here you go, Chanyeol, a clean pair of clothes, I’m afraid we don’t keep underwear stocked,” Luhan handed over the clothes to the hybrid, pointing towards the other door in the room, “There’s the bathroom, now that I’ve already finished the exam and gotten pictures, you can clean as much as you can in there.”

Chanyeol nodded, staying silent as he took the offered clothes and went into the small bathroom. Minseok stared after him in pity, looking over at Luhan to see the man’s gaze resembled his own.

“You still have Kim Junmyeon’s document of ownership?” Luhan asked quietly, although he knew that Chanyeol could still hear him. He knew the whole situation had to be confusing to him, but since Luhan and Minseok had been briefed and were also working to help out the dog hybrid, they figured it was okay for him to hear.

Minseok nodded, “We had to make copies of it, I’ll also need copies of the one you have on file too.”

“It doesn’t look like Mr. Park has much of a case to prove his innocence,” Luhan noted. “With everything we have, it’s more than obvious who the bad guy here is.”

“With what Kai told Jongdae about Chanyeol, I think the only way it would fall through is if that ex-girlfriend of the man’s comes forward and says that the hybrid was theirs.”

Luhan gaped, “Do you think she would?”

“We haven’t heard anything from her yet, Mr. Park was all the more willing to give us any information he had on her so we could contact her.”

Chanyeol listened to the conversation between the two, it seemed like the two knew each other more than just a friendly veterinarian and a neighbor police officer. And then when Minseok mentioned Kai, everything just clicked into place. _Kai_. Kai must’ve had something to do with this.

Then the memory of that morning that Kris snuck into the apartment window came back into his mind. The talk about his adoption paper and what Kai was planning on doing with it. Editing it or fixing it to where it said that Junmyeon was his owner. It all made sense now. And this officer Minseok talked about Jongdae… he remembered Kai mentioning a Kim Jongdae a few times in the past, that was his cousin.

He realized that that was the officer that arrested Mr. Park. And if that man was partners with officer Minseok, then they had to have talked about this whole thing. The things that the vet and officer spoke of, it seemed like the veterinarian was in on the plan too.

All of them had worked together to get him back home to Junmyeon and to Kris.

Tears started welling up in his eyes when he finally realized it all, he crumpled to the floor, a sob leaving his lips. But unlike all the last few days when he cried, this time, it was in relief, it was in happiness, it was in _hopefulness_. It was in thanks to whatever lucky stars he had up in the sky for the people that he had surrounding him.

And then he heard the door opening to the room and then he heard that voice that had him scrambling up to his feet and throwing open the bathroom door. There, standing in the doorway with Kris behind him was Junmyeon, a wide range of emotions on the man’s face from worried to happiness to panic to relief.

“Chanyeol!” Junmyeon cried, the two wasting no time in rushing to embrace one another. Chanyeol buried his head into Junmyeon’s shoulder, tears streaming now, Junmyeon clutched to Chanyeol, holding him close and sobbing out that he’ll never let go of Chanyeol again.

The second pair of arms that came around the backside of Chanyeol had the dog hybrid releasing one arm from around Junmyeon and his hand finding Kris’s, intertwining their fingers. The three of them in tears and filled with relief as they held each other.

“You’re never leaving my side again, no one will ever hurt you again,” Junmyeon vowed, sobbing again into Chanyeol’s neck. “I won’t let anyone hurt you ever again, I don’t care what I have to do, they’re not taking you from me again.”

Luhan and Minseok watched the scene before deciding to back out of the room to give the three some privacy. When they looked at one another, they knew that they had made the right choice when it came to helping Kai out with this. It was more than obvious who the rightful owner of the dog hybrid was, despite what the truth was. The way that Chanyeol reacted showed everything. He was fearful with Mr. Park, but with Junmyeon? The dog hybrid wasted no time to be back by the man’s side.

Luhan’s assistant held up the copies of all the information he’d taken and the pictures that he took to document the injuries and abuse that Chanyeol had sustained, “It’s everything you requested, sir.”

“Thank you, you have the copy of Chanyeol’s adoption paper too?”

“Yes, it’s all there,” she nodded.

Luhan handed the files over to Minseok, “Here’s everything you requested. I can release Chanyeol into Junmyeon’s care now, right?”

“Yeah, I have his number and will get in contact with him when we have more questions. For now, it’s just building a case for the judge.”

The whole trip back home, Chanyeol’s hands were full. One hand was in Kris’s, the other hand was in Junmyeon’s, neither one wanted to let go of his hands. He looked between the two of them as they neared the apartment, and he had to stop himself from wanting to tear up again. Junmyeon had some paperwork to go through at the veterinary office, and while he did that, Kris stayed by his side, holding him close.

When he walked up the similar steps to Junmyeon’s porch, he had to breathe a sigh of relief at the fact that it wasn’t leading him to hell again. The fresh and clean smell of the apartment that greeted him when the door opened was more than enough proof of that. No cigarettes, no moody smell, nothing of the sort. Just clean and crisp goodness.

Although as soon as the door opened and he stepped foot in the apartment, he was assaulted by two small pairs of arms coming to wrap around each of his legs. Baekhyun and Kyungsoo shouting his name and telling him how much they missed him. He hugged them both, kissing both of the tops of their heads, and when he looked up, he saw Kai and Sehun in the living room.

“They offered to stay here with Baekhyun and Kyungsoo while me and Kris came to pick you up,” Junmyeon told him, smiling at the two before turning back to Chanyeol with concern. “Are you hungry? Thirsty? Have you been eating at all? Tell me he did feed you, didn’t he?”

Chanyeol hesitated at his smile that came from the questions, seeing the way that Junmyeon’s face twisted up with his worry, “I don’t want to say anything to upset you, Myeonie… so I’ll just say that yes, I would like something to eat.” But he could already see the hurt that crossed Junmyeon’s features at those words.

Junmyeon didn’t say anything though, shaking his head as tears started filling his eyes again, Kris spoke up, opting to lead Chanyeol into the kitchen, “Sehun ordered in before we left, so there should be plenty of food.”

“I did, Baekhyun wanted pizza and then Kyungsoo wanted japchae so I got both,” Sehun spoke up, him and Kai entering the kitchen too. “So there’s plenty here.”

Chanyeol looked at both of them, then at Kyungsoo and Baekhyun then to Kris and Junmyeon, “Thank you… thank you all for bringing me back home.”

Kris smiled, ruffling his hair softly, “I told you we were going to get you back.” He nodded towards a proudly grinning Kai, “That’s your mastermind right there.” Then he turned towards Junmyeon, “He was willing to offer Mr. Park a fortune just to get you back, called his mother for the funds and everything. One way or another, we weren’t going to just leave you there, Chanyeol.”

Kai spoke up, “As soon as Kris told me that morning what happened, I couldn’t let one of my best friends suffer like that.” He stepped up to Chanyeol, hugging him tightly, “What are friends for if not to help out one another?”

Chanyeol hugged the man back, tears forming, “Thank you, Kai.”

When he pulled back, he saw the black haired man was on the verge of tears but played it off as allergies he stepped back to Sehun’s side.

“It’s still not over yet though,” Sehun replied, vowing, “I’m going to get you justice, Chanyeol, I promise you. That man will spend some time in jail for what he did.”

“Thank you.”

Her cellphone kept ringing for the longest time as she busied herself through her apartment, the pregnancy was taking a toll on her, but she was in her nesting phase. Anything dirty or that had a smell was thrown out, and she wasn’t stopping until the whole apartment was clean. Spotless, everything had to be clean.

She finally groaned from the room she was in, cleaning away, when she couldn’t take the phone ringing anymore. Irritation had set in. She was busy, everyone she knew had already known about her plans of cleaning today, so why was someone bugging her today with a phone call?

Her fiancee was at work and she knew that the woman wouldn’t be calling her right now. They’d had a mutual agreement that they wouldn’t disturb the other while they’re working. And she knew that the other was busy cleaning the apartment too today.

“ _Hello_?” She answered, hoping her irritation seeped through the speaker of phone at whoever was calling.

“Yerim! Oh thank god, you finally answered, I’m only allowed one phone call and I was damned determined to get you to answer…” the man’s voice came across the speaker. She frowned at first, the voice was familiar but she couldn’t pinpoint it as he kept talking, “You’ve got to help me out, I’ve been arrested, and the police keep saying that I stole that damn mutt of ours-”

Her eyes widened when she realized who it was now. Anger flooded her.

“You’ve got some nerve calling me, Seunggu,” she cut off his ranting. “We’re over, and this is the first in how many years that you’re calling my phone? I want nothing to do with you-”

“Yerim, _please_! They’re going to put me in jail, saying that I stole Chanyeol from that pansy neighbor of ours-”

That confused her, “What?”

“The police, they arrested me for thinking that I kidnapped Chanyeol from our neighbor. You remember that stupid mutt? The fucking dog kept following you around like you were his damn mother?”

She scowled at the curses that he used, but finally replied, “Yes, I remember Chanyeol. Why do they think you stole him from the Kim boy?”

“I kicked that stupid mutt out one night and Kim took him in, and out of the goodness of my heart, I figured I’d let the poor bastard keep him for a little while. The fucker is always by himself in that apartment so I figured he could use the mutt if he was lonely, like I did.” Her face turned up in disgust at that, but he continued, “That was three years ago? And he just recently got himself another hybrid so I figured I’d take Chanyeol back. And now the police arrested me, saying that I stole him from Kim. The adoption paper says he’s mine, has my name on it when I bought him for you.”

“So after I left you for abusing me, you started abusing Chanyeol, huh?” He sputtered in response to that, “You’re a sick bastard. If he hadn’t reminded me of you every time I looked at him, I would’ve taken him with me when I left. Especially after hearing that, you sicko.”

“You left me because you found that bitch to run to.”

“You drove me away, dumbass!” She yelled back, “Always complaining about your job, coming home and taking your frustrations out on me, you’re lucky you only hit me in the bedroom, idiot, Chanyeol probably would’ve crawled your ass for hurting me if you hadn’t.”

He scoffed, “That dog would’ve been dead in a ditch if he had thought about turning on me.”

“For protecting me from you? You would’ve killed him for that?” She couldn’t believe the nerve of him. “Fuck you, Seunggu. I don’t care if the police have it wrong about you and the Kim boy, I hope you rot in jail. Chanyeol can be his for all I care.”

“No, wait--Yerim, I’m sorry- I just need you to-”

“You don’t need me to do anything. I’ve moved on from you, Seunggu, getting married, got a baby on the way, and I’m doing so much better off without you in my life. She treats me so much better than you ever did. Don’t call me again, I’ll have Juhyun file more charges against you if you do. Kim can have Chanyeol for all I care. _Goodbye_.” She heard him try to say something else but she was already ending the call, glaring down at her phone. The absolute nerve of the guy.

She set her phone back down on the coffee table, trying to calm herself down, stress wasn’t good for the baby. And she shouldn’t have let him make her that angry, but she couldn’t help it. She felt sorry for Chanyeol after hearing what happened to him after she left, but she couldn’t take him with her.

She did love Chanyeol but he would always be a reminder of Seunggu. He was basically their child together, even if he was a hybrid.

The thing about the neighbor, Kim Junmyeon, taking over care of Chanyeol, she’d have to believe that the man was caring for the dog hybrid more than Seunggu would’ve been. He seemed like a sweet guy.

The ringing of her cellphone again had her scowling down at it, but this was a different number. She sighed, picking it up and answering the call, “Hello?”

“Hello, is this Kim Yerim?” It was a man’s voice asked, she confirmed herself, and he continued, “I’m Officer Kim Jongdae with the Seoul Police Department, I’m calling today to ask about your connection with a Park Seunggu?”

She had to restrain herself from groaning at the mention of the name and from saying that yes, he just called her and upset her whole day. Instead, she played it off politely as she could, “Yes, that was a douche bag of an ex-boyfriend of mine. What about him?”

The officer chuckled softly at the description of the man, clearing his throat, “Ah, yes, he’s in our custody right now, had asked us to get in contact with you for proof of his innocence in the recent case against him.” She hummed, already knowing what the officer was talking about. “I was just calling to get your side of the story, if you don’t mind answering a few questions. This call is being recorded for case purposes too. I hope you don’t mind that.”

“I don’t mind. What’s the douche bag done this time?”

“He was arrested on grounds of stealing a hybrid from his neighbor and abusing it, damaging the man’s property.” She closed her eyes at those words, feeling sorry for leaving Chanyeol in that situation. “He says that the hybrid belongs to him, and that you could confirm that the hybrid is his and yours at a certain point in time. But the documents at the hybrid adoption center,” he paused, then read off the name of the center, “Seoul Hybrid Adoption Shelter, states that the dog hybrid, Chanyeol, belongs to a Kim Junmyeon. And the owner has his own set of adoption papers confirming that.”

She was confused by that, wondering why the documents at the adoption shelter said Junmyeon was the owner, but after hearing what Seunggu did to Chanyeol, she decided to do what was best for the dog hybrid, a means of repaying Chanyeol for leaving him with that bastard of a man. “Um, we never had a hybrid? Seunggu could barely make ends meet as it was, and I was only a part-time worker while we were in a relationship. We couldn’t afford a hybrid.”

It wasn’t true. Seunggu had saved up countless months before Christmas to make sure he could get her a dog hybrid for Christmas. But the officer didn’t need to know that. No one else would know it either, only her and Seunggu.

The officer hummed, “Ah, I see. Can you think of any reason why he would say otherwise?”

She scoffed, then laughed softly, “Not really, he always talked about getting a dog hybrid for me, but I think that was just a dream of his.” She shrugged, deciding to play on her lie, “Who knows, he might’ve stole that dog hybrid to try and convince me to come back to him. He’s a crazy bastard.”

“Ah, I see.”

“Is that all? I’ve got some cleaning to get back to, and my fiancee is supposed to be coming home soon.”

“Y-Yes, Ms. Kim, that’s all the questions I had. Thank you for your time, and I’m sorry to disturb your cleaning.”

She ended the call and smiled to herself. The ‘fuck you’ nail in the coffin that was to her old flame. She just wondered what strings Kim Junmyeon had to devise the perfect means of keeping Chanyeol for himself, but shook her head, not wanting to ponder too much on it. The thought of Seunggu alone had some old memories painfully trying to resurface.

That night after Kai and Sehun had left, after Chanyeol had finally been able to scrub everything away in the shower, the three of them made their way to Junmyeon’s bedroom. Kyungsoo and Baekhyun had fallen off to sleep shortly after the big dinner, both of them cuddled up to Kai and Sehun as their eyes drooped in front of the TV. Kris and Junmyeon placed them in their bed, but they knew that odds are, they’d make their way to Junmyeon’s room before morning.

Chanyeol was quiet for most of the evening, just basking in every little bit of affection that he could get from both Kris and Junmyeon. Something that didn’t go unnoticed by either of the two.

But when Chanyeol saw Kris entering Junmyeon’s room in his boxers and t-shirt, the dog hybrid couldn’t hide his surprise, “You’re actually going to sleep with us tonight?”

“He’s been sleeping in here with me the last few nights, Chanyeol,” Junmyeon replied, changing into his bed clothes. “I think it was mostly to keep me from crying as much though…” he mumbled out.

Chanyeol’s eyes turned sad at those words, holding his hand out to Junmyeon as he sat at the front of the bed. He pulled Junmyeon to him, hugging the man and burying his face into his midsection, “I’m here now, Myeonie. I’m back home now, you don’t have to cry anymore.”

Junmyeon shook his head, trying to will the tears away as he kissed the top of Chanyeol’s head, holding him, “I promised you that you’d never have to go through that again-”

“But now he won’t ever have to,” Kris chimed in, moving onto the bed, and wrapping his arms around Chanyeol’s waist, careful of the areas he knew were bruised. He’d watched the way that Chanyeol winced and moved carefully that evening, knowing that his stomach area had been damaged. “You’re Junmyeon’s now, and with a few days of processing, myself, Kyungsoo, and Baekhyun will all be Junmyeon’s.”

Chanyeol pulled back at that, surprised as he looked between the two, then he decided to try and lighten the mood, smirking teasingly, “You two did the dirty while I was away, didn’t you?”

Kris laughed and shook his head, while Junmyeon was left blushing red, “No! No, we didn’t. No, that officer, Minseok, the one that was at the vet with you today, he suggested it before we left. And Junmyeon talked to the blonde vet about getting the process started. It’s mostly to keep something like this from happening again,” Kris explained, but he already knew that he didn’t have anything to worry about with his previous owner trying to get him back.

Okay, that explanation seemed reasonable for Chanyeol, but he could sense there was something different for the two. He knew that Kris had confessed to Junmyeon about his feelings for the man, but there was something else there. Especially if Kris had willingly entered the room and was going to stay in their bed tonight, no questions asked.

“So if you two haven’t done the dirty, you’ve done something since I’ve been gone,” he eyed them suspiciously. Honestly, he just loved making the two blush, and he’d seriously missed this. He wanted the past week out of his mind, as far away as he could get it.

Junmyeon cleared his throat, “We haven’t done anything, Chanyeol, it wouldn’t have been right for us to without you here with us. You’re the other half to our heart,” he glanced at Kris to see the wolf shared the same sentiments. “Other than Kris staying with me throughout the night, that’s all that’s happened.”

“Oh…” Chanyeol looked between the two, eyes sparkling with mischief again, “Well after my lip gets healed up, I want kisses from the both of you.” The tease was there, but the mention of his busted lip had the two faltering any laughter.

Instead, Kris cupped Chanyeol’s face, and brought his lips to the dog hybrid’s forehead, like he’d done so many times, and then Junmyeon leaned down and kissed the side of Chanyeol’s cheek. The one that wasn’t blossomed purple. The two pulled back and Chanyeol wanted so badly to pull them into a kiss, a deep kiss, but he refrained. Just revealing in the softness of their lips that came in contact with his skin.

“Come on, let’s get ready for bed,” Junmyeon murmured softly, stepping back to dig through the clothes drawer for Chanyeol’s boxers that he always wore for bedtime.

Chanyeol’s fingers fumbled with the hem of his shirt, despite the mood lightening between them, he honestly didn’t want to show what that man had done to him. Not with him knowing how Junmyeon and Kris would react. He knew the wolf hybrid already suspected it, due to the soft hugging, but he was still hesitant.

Kris’s hand grabbed one of his hands, “It’s okay, Chanyeol. If you don’t want to change out of your clothes, you don’t have to.”

“I just…” Chanyeol started, then stopped, gaze lowering when he saw the concern in Junmyeon’s eyes, the hand of Kris’s squeezing his softly, “I’m not a pretty sight right now… I don’t want you two to see me like this.” He looked back up, gaze finding Junmyeon’s, “You’ve already seen me like this before and I don’t want you to cry anymore, Myeonie.”

Junmyeon sucked in a breath at that, eyes closing to will away any tears that were starting to work up, he blinked away the wetness, “I’m sorry, Chanyeol.”

He shook his head, “Don’t be, you didn’t do this to me.” He held out his hand to Junmyeon, beckoning him to come onto bed, “I’ll sleep in these clothes tonight… just for tonight.” He moved up on the bed, settling in the middle of it, under the blankets, “Just hold me tonight, please?”

Kris and Junmyeon lied down on either side of him, both of them holding onto him as he closed his eyes to go onto sleep. The two looked at one another, they knew tonight wouldn’t be an easy night, despite Chanyeol being back home. Much like Kris, he would probably face nightmares, and like Kris, he would find comfort in the two as they coaxed him through them.

But for now, they held him close.


	14. Part 14

The first thing that Chanyeol noticed when he woke up was that he was lying in a soft bed, under warm blankets, with two extremely warm sources of heat around him, and then two smaller sources of heat lying more or less on top of him. He wanted to pinch himself to make sure he wasn’t dreaming because the last few mornings when he woke up in Mr. Park’s bed, he’d had the fantasies that he was really in Junmyeon’s bed, only to open his eyes and see the yellowish white ceiling above him, knowing that he was not where he hoped he would be.

But when he opened his eyes this time, the first thing he noticed was the lips connecting to one another, the white ceiling was in the background, he noticed that, relieved for a moment, but the lips that were kissing above him had his attention. He saw the big hand that came up to cup the pale face of the other man’s, recognizing it as Kris’s, and then he recognized that freckle on the pale neck, the one he usually found himself sucking marks over. Junmyeon.

When they pulled away from one another, he whined, mumbling, “Hey, don’t stop on my behalf.”

The two startled back, looking down to see Chanyeol glancing between the two, still half-sleep, but the teasing smile grew on his lips. “And you two said nothing happened while I was gone.” He wanted to reach up to cup both of their faces but the heavy weight on either of his arms restrained him from doing so. He looked down to see Baekhyun and Kyungsoo on either side of him.

He had a feeling they wouldn’t be in their room for long last night. And the way they clutched to his shirt, he could tell they had missed him too.

“We didn’t know you were awake, Chanyeol,” Junmyeon murmured softly, settling back down on the pillow while Kris stayed propped up on his elbow, his hand finding Chanyeol’s ear and rubbing it softly.

Chanyeol leaned into Kris’s hand, “You could’ve waited until I was awake if you were going to start macking on each other like that. I missed the first kiss already, and who knows how many since I was gone, the least you two could do is give me a show.”

Junmyeon scoffed, ruffling the dog hybrid’s hair, “As if.” Chanyeol grinned over at him, winking. To which, Junmyeon couldn’t hold his annoyance at him, smiling softly and kissing his temple, “I’m so glad you’re back, Chanyeol.”

“We both are,” Kris kissed the other side of Chanyeol’s temple. “No one is taking you away from us again now.”

Chanyeol hummed, “You really think they’re going to lock him away now?”

“With what Officer Minseok told us, he would be. Even Sehun is convinced that with what Kai did, with your adoption paper, there isn’t much of a case for the judge to look at. The proof is all there that it would look like Mr. Park stole you from me,” Junmyeon replied. “He would face either jail time or have to compensate me for hurting you.”

A snort of a laugh left Chanyeol’s lips, “Wouldn’t be much to compensate, he’s still a broke man.”

Junmyeon frowned, looking over at Chanyeol, mumbling softly, “It was the same as before?”

Chanyeol turned his gaze away from both Junmyeon and Kris, staring at the white ceiling blankly, “More or less,” he laughed humorlessly, “He didn’t throw any broken bottles at me this time though.”

“That morning… when I broke in…” Kris started, then hesitated, the image of Chanyeol tied to the bed that morning flashed through his mind. He took a shuddering breath, “The way that he left you…”

Chanyeol nodded, tears welling up but he blinked them away, “I was glad when you didn’t move the blanket. I didn’t want you seeing me like that.” He looked over at Kris, “I know you’ve seen yourself like that more than you’d care to remember.”

Kris bit his bottom lip, “That night, after I saw you like that… you wanted to know why I was sleeping with Junmyeon now at night, the nightmare that night, I was in your place.” He shook his head, eyes watering, “The things we’ve suffered from at the hands of careless humans, I just… I don’t understand how… why… why were we treated like that?”

Junmyeon moved to reach out for both Kris and Chanyeol, “It’s nothing either of you have done, some humans are just horrible people.” His hand found Kris’s and he held Chanyeol since his hands were still holding onto Baekhyun and Kyungsoo. “You two aren’t at fault at all, I don’t want you to think that. Mr. Park and your owner, Kris, they’re just… they’re just scum. Throughout history, you can see how stupid some humans are.” He sighed shakily, “I wish I could do more to erase what they did to both of you. I wish I could beat them senseless for what they did. You two deserve so much better than that.”

Chanyeol chuckled softly, “I’d love to see you kick their asses, Myeonie.” Then he smiled, “You’re one of the few that still have a heart, you, Kai, Sehun… and even those officers.” He paused as he thought back about the two that saved him from Mr. Park, and hearing what Officer Minseok and the veterinary were talking about while he was getting changed. “All of you worked together to get me back home.”

Junmyeon glanced over at Kris, then back down at Chanyeol, “I think they did most of the work to keep things from being messy. I just called Umma for the funds and was going to offer Mr. Park whatever amount he wanted for you.”

“But it still would’ve helped too,” Kris chimed up, “If our plan had fell through, you could’ve still used that check she wrote you for getting Chanyeol back.” He looked back at Chanyeol, “We had you covered all the way around, there was no way that we weren’t going to get you back by whatever means necessary.”

\--

Luhan carried a still half-sleep Tao into the kitchen to fix up a bottle for him as Minseok busied himself with cooking a light breakfast for the two of them. The two of them had slept pretty decently that night, and Tao only woke them up once with his crying, so it wasn’t too bad of a night. Today was the day that he was going to file the case and have it sent over for the judge, so he was grateful for the decent night’s sleep.

“Here you go, baby, a nice warm bottle of milk,” Luhan cooed, nudging the tip of the bottom against Tao’s lips, and smiling down at the panda hybrid in his arms as Tao started drinking. He looked up at Minseok, “I know it’s good that he’s growing now, but I’m going to be so sad when I can’t hold him in my arms like this anymore.”

Minseok chuckled shaking his head, he plated the eggs and toast, “Seeing how much he’s a Baba’s boy, you could probably still baby him even after he gets older.” He grabbed the plates and brought them to the table, setting one in front his spot and the other in front of Luhan. He went over to the coffee pot and poured them two cups. “Today is going to be a busy day, I’m just glad he let us sleep most the night.”

Luhan took his coffee cup from Minseok and raised it for a mocking toast, “I’ll drink to that.” He took a small sip of it, “The judge will rule in Junmyeon’s favor, Mr. Seunggu Park doesn’t have a chance with this.”

“I know, I was shocked when Jongdae told me what his ex-girlfriend said, but maybe he was enough of a-” he paused, glancing at Tao to see him almost asleep again as he sucked on the bottle, he still lowered his voice, continuing, “bastard to make her want to deny anything about Chanyeol.”

Luhan shrugged, “I’m a little thankful for that, it worked out perfectly for Junmyeon. The way they reacted yesterday in the office, I’m convinced I did the right thing.”

Minseok nodded, taking a bite of his toast, “Same here. I just hope this doesn’t backfire on us. The injuries and abuse that Park did to Chanyeol, I would hate for this case to fall through and he end up back in that environment.”

“I hate that some of the hybrids that I see every day have to go back into that environment, but at least with Chanyeol, it’ll be one less that’s out there suffering,” Luhan looked down at Tao, taking the half-empty bottle from the little tike, “Well, _two_ less.”

Minseok smiled down at the panda hybrid, agreeing, “ _Two_ less that’s suffering. He’s the sole driving force I had with this case. I don’t want to even imagine him being in that position.” He shook his head, shuddering, “I swear, I’d probably kill the person that even thought of hurting him.”

“The feeling’s mutual,” Luhan nodded. Then he decided to change the subject, “I’ve got to fill out the paperwork and get the examination for the three hybrids that Junmyeon has other than Chanyeol. He said they were strays that he found and took in.”

\--

Kai accompanied Kris, Baekhyun, and Kyungsoo to the veterinary shelter, Junmyeon had to be present at the courthouse with Chanyeol due to the case. Other than having to take the paperwork to Junmyeon to have him sign it, the process went through easily.

While it was unfortunate that Kris was a trafficked hybrid, there was no paperwork in the database at all of his existence. So he was left with a clean slate. There wasn’t even any paperwork from the shelter that had sold him to the traffickers. And his previous owner had already taken criminal actions when purchasing him, so there was no hope of having him registered if it were to just lead to an arrest.

When it came to Baekhyun and Kyungsoo, the two had been abandoned, whoever had them clearly didn’t want them from the start, so there wasn’t any files on them either at any shelters.

It was mostly all a clean process. The painful part was the small samples of blood work that Luhan had to collect and the necessary shots that the two little ones needed from any kind of sicknesses that were prone to affect the younger hybrids.

Luhan wiped at the small pinpoint where the needle was pulled from, cleaning up the area before placing a piece of gauze and a band-aid on Kyungsoo, his eyes saddened when he saw the tears and heard the sniffles from the little cat hybrid, “Aw, I’m sorry, Kyungsoo, but we’re all done now, no more needles.” He glanced up at Kris, as the wolf hybrid held Kyungsoo, trying to calm him, “That’s it for the blood work, and the papers will have to be processed, but we’re all done now.”

Kris was the first to get his blood taken, mostly to try and display how it didn’t hurt for Baekhyun and Kyungsoo, but the two still cried once Luhan made his round to them. Although now the two would be rewarded with a lollipop for their good behavior. The thought of the needle quickly disappearing when Luhan held up the bucket of lollipops to them to pick what color they wanted.

Kai peeked at the clipboard of Luhan’s, reading over some of the information on the three before turning back to the vet, “So after all the paperwork is done, the only thing left is for Junmyeon to sign the papers?”

Luhan nodded, discarding of the needles in the small red box above the trash can and then his gloves, “That’s all. After those papers are signed, these three will officially have their forever home.”

“Chanyeol will too,” Kai murmured quietly, but Luhan heard him, glancing over at the tall black haired man. “I can’t thank you enough for what you did, Luhan. I know it was your job on the line, but I couldn’t let him stay in that.”

“I worried about my decision to help you at first, Kai, but after seeing the damage done to him,” Luhan shook his head, trying not to think of what he saw of Chanyeol’s body, “I knew I had done the right thing.” Luhan turned back to meet Kris’s gaze, “Seeing the way Chanyeol reacted to you and Junmyeon, I knew I had done the right thing.”

Kris looked between Kai and Luhan, finally voicing something that’s been worrying him since that morning, “Will… do you think… everything should work out with the court, right? Chanyeol will be coming home to us today, right?”

Kai nodded without hesitation, “It’ll work out, trust me, Sehun will make sure it works out just fine. With a case like this with all the paperwork and proof, there’s no way that a judge wouldn’t find Mr. Park guilty of thief and damaging _property_.”

“Exactly. My partner, the officer that found Chanyeol, Minseok is working very close with the case too, he’ll make sure that Chanyeol stays with Junmyeon,” Luhan stated. Kris was a bit taken back by that, he didn’t quite understand what the man meant until dawned on him what exactly he meant by ‘partner’.

Kris slowly nodded, looking down at the two little ones in his lap. The two of them were listening but mostly content with their lollipops. He just hoped that this would all go over smoothly. The humans around him seemed to know what they were doing, and from the time that he’s spent with Junmyeon, he learnt that he’d have to trust these humans.

\--

“I’m telling that hybrid is mine! I don’t care what the papers said, if your stupid officers had searched my apartment good enough, you’d find the real papers that say he’s mine!” Seunggu shouted at the judge as the man read off his case file, much to the disapproval of the judge.

“Mr. Park, if you continue to disrupt my courtroom, I’ll have you locked up for contempt,” Judge Kim stated, then addressed the man’s attorney, “If you don’t get a hold of your client, I’ll have you in contempt too. For letting him cause all this ruckus in _my_ courtroom.”

The attorney mumbled softly to Seunggu to keep quiet, but the man was already irritated, listening to everything that the judge was saying. He glared over at Junmyeon and his lawyer. His gaze falling on the dog hybrid that was seated close to Junmyeon, his ears flat against his head, and when he saw Seunggu looking at him, he cowered, a soft whimper escaping his lips.

Junmyeon’s hand tightened around Chanyeol’s, squeezing softly before his thumb started running over Chanyeol’s knuckles, trying to comfort the hybrid.

“Now, it’s plain and clear here that you stole Mr. Kim’s dog hybrid. The police reports, the proof of ownership from the hybrid shelter, Mr. Kim’s own document of ownership, and then you have the testimony of your ex-girlfriend, Kim Yerim, stating that you never owned a dog hybrid, or any hybrid at all,” the judge read off everything, turning his gaze up at Seunggu, then over at Junmyeon, his eyes lingering on the dog hybrid. Then he looked back at Seunggu’s attorney, “How does the defense plea?”

The attorney stood up, bowing, “Not guilty, your honor.”

Sehun quickly stood up, knowing that the case would have a trial thanks to Seunggu’s plea. “We would like to request no chance of bail, your honor.”

The judge hummed, glancing back down at the photos of the injuries that the hybrid sustained. He’d noticed the addresses of the two individuals too, taking that into account. Then he looked back at the dog hybrid, the signs of the abuse were fading, _slowly_.

“I’ll grant it, and Mr. Park, you’ll be in the county jail while awaiting your trial.” He picked up his gavel, “The trial date will be set for three days from now.” With the hitting of his gavel against the desk. “Bailiff, take Mr. Park in custody.”

Seunggu didn’t stay quiet when the bailiff stepped up to him, glaring over at Junmyeon and Chanyeol, the dog hybrid hiding his face in Junmyeon’s neck, “I’ll get you back for this! That’s my damn mutt! You haven’t won!” He kept yelling despite the judge repeatedly demanding order and hitting the gavel.

Once he was dragged out of the courtroom, Sehun shook his head, reaching out to Chanyeol to rub his ear, “Don’t pay any attention to him, okay, guys? He’s fighting a losing battle, any jury would see that evidence is pretty damning on his part.”

Junmyeon held Chanyeol, the dog hybrid whimpering softly, “I don’t think we can stop worrying until he’s behind bars or out of the picture completely.” He kissed Chanyeol’s head, “But you’re not going back into that situation, _I promise_.” As soon as he said those words, he winced, he’d promised Chanyeol before and yet here they were, the aftermath of that promise falling through.

“ _We_ promise,” Sehun added, “I’ll be damned if I’m going to let you go back into an environment like that.” Chanyeol looked up at him, sniffling. “You’re going to be fine, Chanyeol, this might get ugly in the courtroom, but I promise you that you’re going to be fine.”

\--

The knock at the door that morning had the two looking up from their breakfast and to the door, then back at one another, confused as to who could be knocking. They weren’t expecting any company, none of their friends had called or texted that they were coming over. So they wondered who it could be.

“I’ll get it,” Juhyun getting up from the table, smiling at Yerim then at her round stomach, “Little Hajoon wants you to hurry up and feed him.”

Yerim simply shook her head, but the soft kick from the little one obviously didn’t disagree with that statement. She watched Juhyun walk up to the door, taking another bite of her omelette, trying to see who it could be at the door.

The officer on the other side of the door surprised Juhyun and when Yerim caught a glimpse of the suit, her eyes widened. “Ms. Kim Yerim?”

“That’s my partner, I’m Bae Juhyun, what’s this concerning?” She looked at the letter in his hand as he handed it over.

“She’s being subpoenaed to appear in court,” the officer stated.

Juhyun’s eyes widened, taking the letter. The officer bid her a good day and then left, leaving her to close the door. She walked back to the kitchen table and handed Yerim the letter.

“From what you told me about that officer calling you that day about that dirtbag, I’m guessing this is concerning him?”

Yerim groaned softly, shaking her head as she took the letter and opened it. “Well, if it’s concerning him… Chanyeol has to be in the crossfire too.” She read over the letter, seeing why she was being summoned to court. “He’s pleading not guilty to kidnapping Chanyeol.”

Juhyun shrugged, “Well, he really _isn’t_ guilty. But from what you told me that he did to that poor hybrid…” she shuddered, “he may as well be guilty.”

“That Kim boy that’s got him now must’ve really gone through a lot of stuff to get this case built. Its obvious he had to either pay off someone or have connections with the adoption shelter to have his name instead of Seunggu’s on the adoption papers.”

Juhyun hummed, “I think it’s obvious that he cares for him then.” She shrugged, “If I were in that situation… I’d imagine I’d go through anything to take care of someone I cared for.”

Yerim grew quiet for a moment, her hand coming up to rub at her stomach, “I’ll end up seeing Chanyeol again… I can finally apologize to him for leaving him with that monster.”

Juhyun’s hand covered hers, “I’m sure he’ll understand. I’ll request the day off of the hearing, I’ll be there for you too.”

\--

The night before the big day was stressful. Even though everything was set out, and even though Sehun kept assuring them that the case would be won, it didn’t ease either of the three’s nerves. Baekhyun seemed to notice the tension and was a bit more active, a bit more louder than usual. He kept clinging to Chanyeol’s side, and Kyungsoo tried not to be as loud, but he stayed a little closer to Chanyeol than usual.

Something that Kris and Junmyeon noticed, but kept trying to remind themselves of the assurances that Sehun told them. _This case was already won, it would already be won before they even stepped into the courtroom. There was no need to worry._

But it still didn’t stop either of them.

The only way they could get the two little ones to settle down for bed that night was to crowd back into Junmyeon’s bed, much like how Chanyeol woke up the first morning back home. Chanyeol lied in the middle of the bed with Kyungsoo and Baekhyun on either side of him, and then Kris and Junmyeon on both sides of them.

“If we keep doing this, I’m going to have to get a bigger bed,” Junmyeon chuckled, running his fingers through Kyungsoo’s hair as the little tike slept away, halfway on Chanyeol’s chest.

Chanyeol hummed his agreement, looking down at the two, “When they get older, we’ll probably need a bigger place too. I doubt they’ll want to share a room forever.”

“It would be more spacious if we moved the full size bed out of the second bedroom… since I won’t be sleeping in there as much,” Kris commented, propped up on his elbow as he looked down at Chanyeol and Junmyeon. His cheeks flushed red when he saw the growing smirk cross Chanyeol’s lips at that, “Shut up, Chanyeol.”

“ _‘As much,_ ’ he says,” Chanyeol teased. He shook his head, “I want you both like this from now on when we go to sleep. I want to be cuddled up between the two of you.”

Junmyeon laughed, cheeks matching Kris’s, “Yeah, I’ll go ahead and find that bigger bed.”

“It’ll be hot when summertime comes though…” Kris mumbled.

Chanyeol hummed, motioning to himself cautiously to keep from waking the babies, “True, but I sleep naked in summertime, and Junmyeon occasionally sleeps shirtless in the summertime.” He threw a wink at Junmyeon, looking back at Kris, “I think that’s just to tempt me every night. Wanting to flash those abs every chance he can get.”

Kris’s gaze fell to that white shirt that covered Junmyeon’s top half, he still hadn’t had the chance to see those abs. Not the way that Chanyeol has gotten to. The few nights that Junmyeon changed into his pajamas with Kris in the room, the wolf hybrid shied away from fully staring at the man. The noises he heard between the two when he still slept in the other room… if what Chanyeol was saying was true, he could see how hard it would be to keep his hands to himself.

It was almost as if Chanyeol could see what the wolf was thinking, he nodded to himself, grinning, “Mhm, and he’ll be yours too this summer.”

Junmyeon scowled at the dog hybrid, cheeks flushed red, “Stop that, Chanyeol.” He chuckled softly, “We’re still taking things slow with Kris, I don’t want you to push him into something if he’s not-”

Kris swallowed hard, cutting him off, “Its okay, Junmyeon.” The gaze he had was dark as he looked at Junmyeon, and the man had to stop himself from losing himself in that gaze. They had two babies in bed with them, this was not the time or place. Kris shrugged shakily, finding Chanyeol grinning up at him, knowingly, “He’s… he’s not pushing me into anything.” He tried to form his words, “I… well… I wouldn’t mind… this summer… uh… yeah.”

Chanyeol couldn’t stop the laugh leaving his lips, trying to stay quiet for the two little ones but still, his body shook with humor. He turned to Junmyeon, nodding, with eyes lit up, “This summer, yeah?”

Junmyeon shook his head, muttering about horny mates under his breath as he settled back down on the pillow, closing his eyes. He could feel their gazes still on him, knew that Chanyeol was waiting for his reply, and he finally relented, mumbling without opening his eyes, “Yeah, this summer.”

He felt a pair of lips touch the temple of his head, that deep voice filling his ears, the tone was humorous, “Love you, Myeonie.”

“Love you too, Chanyeol and Kris,” Junmyeon peeked one eye open to look at them before closing it. His hand finding one of Chanyeol’s, “Everything is going to be fine tomorrow.”

Kris’s hand covered the other hand, still propped up on his elbow, “Yeah, it’s going to be fine, Chanyeol, you’re coming home with us tomorrow.”

The dog hybrid didn’t say anything for a moment, the two hands covering his squeezed softly, “It still isn’t going to make tonight any easier to get through.”

“We’re right here though,” Kris reminded him, “You’re safe.”


	15. Part 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bad language.

“I’m sorry, Chanyeol.”

Those words are the words that Chanyeol never thought he’d heard. At least, not from the person standing in front of him. The trial was over, everyone was filing out of the place, there was shouting, there was crying. It was a mess for the most part. But it was over. Finally over.

So when Junmyeon and Chanyeol were approached by the person outside of the courthouse, it surprised and confused Chanyeol. The tears in the other’s person’s eyes, the hands that kept twitching, almost like she wanted to take him into her arms, he couldn’t believe she was standing there in front of him again. He couldn’t believe she even in the courtroom until Sehun called for a witness, and that being her.

“I didn’t know he’d hurt you like that, Chanyeol, I should’ve taken you with me when I left him,” she cried softly, the woman beside her had a comforting arm around the woman’s shoulders. “I thought… he never hurt you when I was still with him… so I thought that you’d be okay.”

His own eyes slowly filled with tears, his hand in Junmyeon’s, clutching it hard. He lowered his head, “I wondered for the longest time why you left me with him. Why didn’t you take me with you?” He looked back up at her, “I loved you… I loved you like my own Umma…”

She sucked in a breath, trying to calm herself from wanting to sob now, “I-I know… it… it was a selfish reason but you reminded me of him… you would’ve been a reminder of him if I had taken you with me.” She shook her head, “He beat me so much in our bedroom and I wanted to escape it, escape him, escape everything.”

The other woman spoke up, “If it’s any consolation, she did worry about you after she left, but the last time he beat her…” she shook her head, “I refused her to go back in that apartment.”

Chanyeol’s head rose at that, eyes slightly widened, “You’re the one… they argued over. The one she was cheating on him with?”

The other woman nodded, then shrugged, “Well, she didn’t cheat while she was with him, he had suspicions and that’s what led to most of the fights. After she left him and moved in with me, _then_ we started seeing each other.”

Yerim cleared her throat, sniffling, “I hated that you had to hear all those fights we had. Looking back on it, I wonder if you were even happy there with us.” Glancing at Junmyeon, she smiled softly to Chanyeol, “It’s more than obvious that you’re happy where you are now.”

Chanyeol looked at Junmyeon, the shorter male looking up at him, and that gaze was more than words could describe, “I am happy with him… he’s been so good to me. I couldn’t ask for a better person than Junmyeon.” His gaze returned to hers, “I was happy with _you_ , while I was growing up, I thought you hung the moon and stars, honestly, and I wondered what I did that made you leave, but over time, I got over it.

“After Junmyeon rescued me, and kept me for the past three years, he’s helped me heal inside and out. I’m not just a dog to him, I’m a person… a _partner_.” He glanced between the two women, then down at Yerim’s round stomach, then back to Yerim. “I want to thank you for what you did in the courtroom.”

Yerim’s eyes glistened, “I did it for you. As atonement for my sins. For leaving you like I did.”

“I forgive you…” he murmured softly, and finally doing what he knew she wanted to do. Could see it in her stance still. He let go of Junmyeon’s hand to hold out his arms for her, to embrace her. He towered over her now, and if it had been a few years ago, the scent filling his nose would’ve smelled like home. But now the scent was entirely different, nothing he recognized at all.

“Take care of yourself, okay, Chanyeol? That Kim boy will treat you well, yeah?” She pulled back, eyes red, nose running, looking up at him.

He nodded, “Yeah, you take care too, of yourself and the little one.”

When he released her and stepped back, back by Junmyeon’s side, Junmyeon and the other woman bowed to each other before the two women walked away. Disappearing into a car and the car disappearing into traffic. Chanyeol stared after them until he turned back to Junmyeon.

“Did you get your closure?” Junmyeon asked, looking up at him curiously and cautiously. He knew she’d always been a sore subject for Chanyeol, and while he tried to comfort him about her, there was really only so much that Junmyeon could do.

“I did,” Chanyeol nodded, smiling, then he pulled Junmyeon into a hug, burying his nose into that mess of black hair. “She doesn’t smell like home anymore,” he murmured, “ _You_ do.”

Junmyeon tightened his arms around Chanyeol, “I’ll always be your home, Chanyeol.” He pulled back, cupping the side of Chanyeol’s face, he wanted to kiss him but since they were still in public, he’d wait. “Yours and Kris’s home, you two are _my_ home too.”

“Speaking of Kris, we should get back to the apartment. I know he wanted to be here with us today, but I really didn’t want Baekhyun or Kyungsoo in the courtroom. The things that were shouted,” Chanyeol shook his head. He didn’t want them hearing anything that Mr. Park was shouting. The bad language, the stuff he said about Chanyeol, and about Junmyeon, all of it was a disaster. But it did help Chanyeol’s case.

“I can offer you two a ride back to the apartment,” Sehun’s voice spoke up as he walked up to them. His tie was loosened around his neck, the top two buttons undone. “I’m free the rest of the day now,” he grinned.

Junmyeon nodded, “Sure, if it wouldn’t be too much of a feat for you.”

Sehun shook his head, “Not at all. Come on, I finally get to let Chanyeol ride in my car.” He lead them over to the cherry red sports car. One that Chanyeol had stared at almost every time Sehun came to visit Kai at the music shop.

All the times that he’d offered Chanyeol a chance to ride in it were either declined or Sehun was called away before he got the chance to. Now he was. Considering Chanyeol’s long legs and that the car was a two door one, Junmyeon got in the back seat, letting the dog hybrid fully enjoy the ride. Luckily, for Junmyeon, Sehun didn’t speed through traffic.

“So what’s the plan for you three now?” Sehun asked, glancing at Junmyeon from the rearview mirror and then looking over at Chanyeol as they came to a red light. “With what the judge gave him, ten years, he’s still got the chance of probation and getting out early on good behavior. It would’ve been, and _should’ve been_ , cased as aggravated kidnapping, giving him more time, but the way the law system is designed to fuck over hybrids,” Sehun shook his head, frustrated, “we were lucky to get the ten year sentence.”

Junmyeon frowned at that, but Chanyeol spoke up, “Well, I suggested we get a bigger place… with Baekhyun and Kyungsoo growing like weeds, they’re going to want their own rooms, and then I really want a place closer to Myeonie’s job, I hate that he has to walk that far to the bus stop and wait for the bus every morning.”

“I talked to my mother about everything this morning before court, she told me to go ahead and use that check she wrote to buy another place,” Junmyeon mentioned, “I don’t want too big of a place, I don’t want to cause Kris any discomfort. A big house might be a big scary for him with memories of his previous owner.”

Chanyeol chuckled, “As long as it’s not a mansion, which I doubt you’ll get, Myeonie,” he threw a glance back at the man, grinning, “No offense, but you don’t look like the mansion type.” Then he wiggled his eyebrow at Sehun, “This guy, _however_ …”

Junmyeon laughed, “He’s already got an apartment suite.” He looked at Sehun, teasing, “Both of my hybrids are in love with you, Sehun, as if it weren’t already obvious.”

Sehun shook his head, snickering softly, “I tend to have that affect on people.” He reached over to ruffle Chanyeol’s hair, “Sorry, bud, but I’m a taken man.”

Chanyeol shrugged, “I don’t mind the eye candy. Myeonie says that it’s just me and Kris, but he was smitten by you the first time he saw you too. I told him that he would be. He’s already got a thing for giants, hence myself and Kris.” He winked back at the growing hot face of Junmyeon’s, laughing at the blush.

His face grew even redder when Sehun threw him a wink in the mirror, Junmyeon shook it off, clearing his throat, “So, uh… yeah, bigger place.”

“Hmm… if it’s going to be you three and two little ones… you want a three bedroom or four bedroom house?” Sehun questioned, “I know my apartment isn’t far from the elementary school, maybe a fifteen minute walk, and there’s some houses in the area that’s up for sale.” He shrugged, “You could also just get a three bedroom apartment, we got some in the building I’m living in.”

Junmyeon hummed, “I figure a house would be better. With an apartment, I’d have to keep paying rent every month instead of just paying it off.”

“And we’d only need three bedrooms, just a bigger bed for our room,” Chanyeol grinned.

Sehun looked over at him, “I honestly can’t tell who got what from who. You getting your dirty mind from Kai or him getting his from you.” Chanyeol laughed at that. Sehun glanced back at Junmyeon, “I think you’re going to have your hands full with both him and Kris.”

Junmyeon chuckled, shaking his head, “I already do.”

“Not fully yet, but this summer…” Chanyeol chimed in, leaving Sehun slightly confused at the inside joke, but seeing the way that Junmyeon’s eyes widened and then his cheeks heated up again, he figured it was something dirty.

“It’s right around the corner,” Sehun mumbled.

\--

“I think we did a good job today,” Jongdae whispered quietly as the two changed out of their uniforms and into their regular clothes to go home. It was the end of the day and after being in court almost all day, they were tired. They were the only two in the locker room but still had to keep quiet about the case, unknowing of who might be listening.

Minseok nodded, slipping on his t-shirt, “I believe so too. The way he acted during the whole trial, and then when the bailiff took him away…” he shook his head, remembering the scene.

_“This is wrong! You’re all liars, that hybrid is mine!” Seunggu shouted as he was made to stand up from his chair and being cuffed. He glared over at Junmyeon and Chanyeol, “This whole case is nothing but lies! I bought that bitch that stupid mutt! She’s lying about the whole thing too!”_

_The gavel kept being hit against the desk, “Order! Order! Mr. Park, you’re pushing me not to add more to your sentence if you keep shouting-”_

_He scoffed, “Do it, I’ll get out soon enough anyway.” He glared back at Junmyeon, muttering something under his breath but Junmyeon could see the intentions in that glare._

_Minseok was about to stand up and help the bailiff with restraining Seunggu but he was finally pushed to start walking. He shouted again before he was out the door, “Fucking liars!”_

_The shouts could still be heard after the door was closed but they slowly faded the further away that Seunggu got. He looked over at the jury to see them shocked and appalled by the scene. Turning back to Junmyeon, he saw the way that Chanyeol buried his face into Junmyeon’s shoulder, weeping softly, the man trying to comfort him._

_The display from Seunggu and the way that Junmyeon kept trying to comfort Chanyeol throughout the whole trial and right now? He knew that the jury could see that they made the right choice._

“I’m glad he’s out of that situation,” Minseok stated, bending down to slip on his shoes and start tying them up

Jongdae slipped on his shirt, “Same. I saw the pictures… not to mention, the bruises were on the way to healing in the courtroom but you could still the damage inflicted on him.” He shook his head, “I admit that I did worry with this case, but it was pure luck that Kim Yerim said what she did. And then the other witnesses, the hotteok seller at the marketplace, several others… we’re lucky that Chanyeol had so many supportive people around him.” 

Minseok couldn’t disagree with that, even himself and Luhan were on his side, “It looks like they’ll be okay for now. I’m going to keep a tab on Park Seunggu though and if anything happens with his release date changing. Unless he has a change of heart, I don’t feel safe for Junmyeon once he’s out. Especially not for Chanyeol.”

“You’re not the only one,” Jongdae shuddered, slipping on his shoes now. “Odds are by the time he gets out, his apartment will be cleaned out and rented to someone else. But he’ll still know where Junmyeon lives.”

\--

Kris watched Kyungsoo as he cut up the vegetables on the cutting board, making sure he was careful not to nick himself with the knife, the soup broth was on the stove and he kept stirring every so often. The potatoes were already in the broth since they took the longest to cook. The little cat hybrid was still using the step-stool to stand on but Kris could already see the growth spurt hitting him. He almost reached Kris’s shoulders as he stood on the step.

Baekhyun was in the living room, watching television. He had no interest in learning how to cook, he’d already stated that the food looked gross before it was cooked. But he loved all the dishes that were prepared, having no feat with that.

“I’m glad we belong to Junmyeon now, hyung,” Kyungsoo stated out of the blue, looking up at Kris when he finished cutting up the carrot. “You look really happy now, and now that Chanyeol is back, you both look happy.”

Kris was surprised by the statement, chuckling softly as he picked up the carrots and placed into the soup, “I am happy, Kyungsoo. You and Baekhyun look happy to be here too.”

Kyungsoo nodded, watching him stir the soup up then add the other chopped up vegetables, “We are, I’m glad they found us that day. Me and Baekhyun were worried that whole day while you were gone, looking for something warmer for us and something to eat. Especially when it was getting late and you hadn’t came back yet.” He paused, “When you did come back without anything in your hands, I figured you hadn’t had any luck.”

Kris shook his head, “I didn’t. The one place that I usually got stuff from was closed, I couldn’t even find anything in any nearby dumpsters.” Thinking back on that, he grimaced at the thought of having to resort to searching in trash for something for them, but he was left with little choice. “It really is a good thing that they found us that night, and then the blizzard that was coming up… I wouldn’t have been able to keep you two warm then.” Truth be told, they could’ve froze to death during that storm, even though they’d weathered through other bad winters before, Kris usually found them something to help through it, but this time, he didn’t.

Maybe fate had played it out like that so they would end up where they were now? Kris shrugged it off, he didn’t care to think that big into something like that. He was just grateful that he allowed himself to trust Junmyeon and Chanyeol. In the early stages, he was still cautious, and had remained cautious, but his walls and guards have slowly came down over time.

He didn’t have to be strong _alone_ anymore. He had two pairs of shoulders he could lean on for support now. And while he hadn’t fully confessed to Junmyeon about being in love with him, the love was still there. With Chanyeol, he’d fallen long before then, it was hard not to do so with the dog hybrid though.

“Chanyeol and Junmyeon are back!” Baekhyun shouted, running into the kitchen to alert them. He’d saw the shiny red car pull up outside through the curtains while he was watching television and then he saw the two familiar people get out of it.

Kris turned down the heat to the soup just as the front door opened, and helped Kyungsoo down the step-stool. The three stepping back into the living room to see Chanyeol and Junmyeon slipping off their shoes and placing them by the shoe rack. The sight of Chanyeol alone told him that the trial was won, but there would have to be details to get too.

Junmyeon looked up at Kris after he took off his shoes, smiling tightly, “More or less, ten years.” He didn’t want to say more due to the small listening ears in the room, but Kris knew what he was talking about.

“That’s all?”

Chanyeol nodded then shrugged, “It’s better than what could’ve happened.” The two of them knew what he meant by that. And yeah, ten years in jail was better than Seunggu winning the case and Chanyeol being back in that situation. It wasn’t likely, but if anything fell through their web of lies, it could’ve turned out _badly_. _Very badly._

Junmyeon reached out to Chanyeol, “You’re right, a lot better than what could’ve happened.”

“I’m just glad it’s all over now, I don’t have to see him again for awhile now,” Chanyeol felt like he could breathe easy now. When Junmyeon got him back a few days ago, he’d tried to get back to his old self around the two, so they wouldn’t worry about him, but the fear of the situation was still in the back of his mind.

“Yeah, you’re home now, Chanyeol, safe and sound,” Junmyeon slipped his hand in the dog hybrid’s, squeezing it softly.

Chanyeol squeezed back, glancing up at Kris, “So what’s that you got smelling so good in the kitchen?”

Kris laughed, motioning to the little chief beside him, “Well, _Kyungsoo_ and I are fixing up a soup.”

Kyungsoo looked proud of himself when Kris emphasized the cat hybrid, “I tried remembering what you made before, hyung, and followed what I could remember.”

A smile crossed Chanyeol’s lips, “Really? We have to try it now. I want to see how my little protege has come along.”

“You have to tell me if I messed up anything, we haven’t tasted it yet, it’s still cooking, but I want to know what to do to improve,” Kyungsoo replied, holding out his hand to Chanyeol to lead the dog hybrid into the kitchen.

Junmyeon stepped up by Kris as the two watched Kyungsoo get back up on the step-stool to observe Chanyeol’s reaction as he got a spoon to taste the broth. At the sight of the surprised expression on Chanyeol’s face that turned into astonishment, they knew that Kyungsoo must’ve did a good job at it.

“Um, Kris?” Junmyeon called the wolf’s attention quietly, “We were discussing on the way home… about getting a bigger place. A house this time. Would you be okay with that?”

He had to ask due to the things that Kris had told him about his previous owner. The man had a mansion, of course, it was bigger than an apartment or a small house, but Junmyeon didn’t want Kris to feel uncomfortable at all. Or to stir up old memories. Granted, if it were Junmyeon’s home, there would be anything in the house to cause bad memories. Just a warm, loving home. Like he had there, in the apartment.

Kris looked surprised by the question, wondering briefly why the man would be asking him about it, but that’s one thing that Junmyeon always did. Asked them their opinions on things. He may have been their owner on paper, but Junmyeon still treated them like an individual. If there was something they didn’t like then Junmyeon wouldn’t do it, or would leave the subject alone. It was just a Junmyeon thing that Kris learned over time.

“Y-Yeah, I’d be okay with that,” Kris nodded. “Baekhyun and Kyungsoo could have their own rooms then.”

“I can get a four bedroom house, in case you’d like to turn one into a library. I know how much you like reading,” Junmyeon shrugged, “Maybe even set up a little area in it for Chanyeol to play his music too.”

Kris’s eyes lit up at that, then he nodded shyly, “That sounds good.”


	16. Epilogue

**_**Five years later…** _ **

**__ **

The house had never been so quiet. That’s one thing that Junmyeon noticed when he arrived home that evening after work. It was only a ten minute walk from the school building, and as soon as he shrugged off his blazer to hang up and slipped off his shoes, he was relieved that it was Friday. _And_ with Monday being a holiday, that left him with a three day weekend.

It was so quiet because right now, Chanyeol and Kris were at Kai’s music shop, a small celebration for the two as Sehun wanted to boast about getting a law passed for hybrids. They were now allowed to get jobs, part-time, of course, but it was a small start. One that Sehun was pushing for more, but for now, he’d take what he could get. Junmyeon all but encouraged them to celebrate the small victory.

Baekhyun and Kyungsoo, however, were spending their month in Busan, with Junmyeon’s mother. She had planned out a month’s vacation for the three of them to enjoy and spoil the two rotten before they came back. Over the last four years, this had became a normal thing for them, she always loved seeing the two, and seeing how they’d grown.

They were Junmyeon’s height now, their bodies almost fully developed into adulthood. But no matter how big they got, his mother still spoiled them any chance she could get.

Sehun was trying to get another law passed that hybrids could be able to attend school, or colleges for courses that they’d need for careers, but it was still one of the many still up in the air. As soon as it was passed, Baekhyun had already expressed his interest in law, becoming lawyer like Sehun, but Junmyeon chalked that up to the flashy lifestyle that Sehun had. Kyungsoo wanted to take up culinary, always coming up with new dishes for the four of them to try.

Chanyeol was like a proud mother every time he whipped up something new. Kris always encouraged the cat hybrid with his ideas and helped Baekhyun with any kind of books he had. Sehun let the rabbit hybrid have his old college books on law and Baekhyun was slowly making his way through them, despite how boring they were. Kris read most of them out of pure curiosity.

The fourth bedroom of the house was ultimately turned into a half library and half music room. It usually found Kris quietly entranced with a book and Chanyeol quietly playing at his guitar from time to time. It was where Junmyeon found the two when he came home from work on most days.

Junmyeon was still teaching kindergartners, his assistant teacher, Yixing, finally completed the necessary courses to become another kindergarten teacher, so now Junmyeon had a new assistant teacher, Lee Minho. The older that Junmyeon got, he believed before long, he’d request to start teaching an older class. The running around and chasing after some kids was starting to get tiresome.

Which is why he was dragging himself home today, and thanking whatever gods listening that it was Friday.

He walked into the kitchen to get a bottle of water from the fridge, making a mental note when he saw the contents inside the fridge that they’d need to make a trip to the marketplace tomorrow. Something he knew that Chanyeol wouldn’t protest at all, getting some more hotteok was the highlight of it all. Kris liked the marketplace, but still stayed close to Junmyeon’s side, still shy around others.

Chanyeol had tried to talk him into getting just one ear rub from the vendors but Kris simply shook his head and kept close to Junmyeon. It was a bit surprising over time how clinging the wolf was towards Junmyeon. Especially when it came to things like initiating kisses and hugs from the human, and even more so when it was Kris that woke Junmyeon and Chanyeol up during the night, wanting their attention, and it wasn’t due to nightmares.

Although now Junmyeon thought about it, the nightmares that Kris, and even Chanyeol had, faded away over time. He couldn’t remember the last time that either of them had woken him up because of a nightmare. Kris had finally gotten his closure when he sat down with Sehun and told the man all the things that happened to him with his previous owner. And Chanyeol, after his owner had been locked away, had nothing to worry about for now.

The horrible man was more of a distant memory. As was Kris’s previous owner.

With the laws that Sehun and other lawyers were trying to get passed, Junmyeon hoped that before long, he wouldn’t even need papers of saying who Kris, Chanyeol, Kyungsoo, and Baekhyun belonged to. He hoped instead that Kris and Chanyeol might find other papers… ones that let Junmyeon file them on his taxes… and let him fill in the box for married instead of single.

But that was too much to hope for right now.

Despite the laws, the love between them was still there.

Instead of attempting to start any kind of dinner for that night, already knowing that it wouldn’t be that appeasing if he prepared it, Junmyeon called in a delivery order of pizza and wings for them. And after those were delivered, and his two hybrids hadn’t arrived at home yet, he figured he’d take a hot bath. Something to help relaxing his aching body.

As he sank back into the warm water of the bathtub, he closed his eyes, and didn’t know that he’d drifted off to sleep until he heard two deep muffled voices coming from somewhere in the house. The water was lukewarm now, and his fingers were pruned. He sat up and moved to get out of the bathtub, grabbing the towel to dry off himself before slipping on the soft robe that hung up on the bathroom wall. Beside his was Kris’s robe, and then Chanyeol’s, but the dog hybrid hardly ever used his. Kris had, on occasion, used his, but it seemed like Junmyeon was the only one that made use of the clothing.

He slipped out of the bathroom, and made his way down the hallway to the stairway where the voices were louder now, coming from the kitchen. He walked downstairs and into the kitchen, smiling when he saw Kris and Chanyeol at the table, both eating the pizza and wings.

“I wondered when you two would get home,” he walked up to Kris, pressing a kiss to the top of the wolf’s head, and then doing the same to Chanyeol.

Chanyeol swallowed his mouthful before replying, “Kai wanted me to play some music and before long, we all started a small gig in the middle of the music shop.” He shrugged, laughing softly, “It was fun… gathered a few people too.”

Junmyeon smiled, “I’m sorry I missed that. Who sang?”

“All of us,” Kris chimed up, “Well, I mostly rapped, so did Chanyeol, and surprisingly, Sehun too. Kai sang and rapped.”

“That’s surprising to hear about Sehun, I never thought he’d have an interest in music like that… if he hadn’t been a lawyer, I would’ve thought he’d take up modeling,” Junmyeon grabbed a plate to get some pizza and then sat down at the other end of the table.

Chanyeol hummed, eyes slightly zoned out at the idea, “He does have the body for it.”

Kris chuckled softly, unable to disagree with that sentiment, “He does…” then he glanced over at Junmyeon’s robe-covered chest, the sides slightly displaying his collarbones and the beginnings of his chest, and since it was halfway into spring, he knew what it led down to. The area that Kris loved to use his tongue and follow each line that showcased Junmyeon’s toned stomach. “Although nothing beats our own Myeonie’s body.”

Kris had adopted Chanyeol’s nickname for Junmyeon shortly after the first time that they were intimate. It followed the sentence ‘I love you’ when Kris finally mustered up the courage to say it to Junmyeon.

Junmyeon’s face heated up at that, pulling his robe together as he continued eating his dinner, “You’re just saying that,” he rolled his eyes, “I know Sehun’s still on your mind.”

The two hybrids shook their heads, Chanyeol denying it, “No! Seriously, your body compared to Sehun’s is so much better.” He nodded towards Junmyeon’s lower half, “Especially right now with summer coming,” then he blanched, “Even if all you’ve been eating, other than today, has been that tasteless chicken and rice.”

Kris grimaced at that, shaking his head, “I don’t see how you do it, Myeon.” He looked at his slice of pizza, “This right here is far too good to go without.” And if it had been a few years ago, that remark would’ve hit different, but the past was in the past, and the three didn’t like to think of those times. Especially not when it just brought up bad memories.

Junmyeon laughed, “But you two certainly like the results of my ‘eating nothing but bland chicken and rice’.” The two nodded at that, because yeah, they did like the results, just not the process to get to those results.

“Which reminds me…” Chanyeol spoke up, eyebrows wiggling at Kris and then to Junmyeon, “You’ve got a three day weekend, don’t you, _Myeonie_?”

The man’s gaze rose up from his pizza, seeing the teasing in Chanyeol’s eyes, and knowing exactly what the dog hybrid was thinking, when he looked over at Kris, he saw a similar expression on the wolf’s face as he took a sip of his drink. He shook his head, shrugging indifferently, “That just means one knot a night.”

The sudden coughing of Kris getting strangled from his drink and Chanyeol’s laughing wasn’t surprising to Junmyeon’s ears. He knew they would want a weekend like this, had been making the most of the house to themselves. Even going as far as starting without Junmyeon when he was at work, but making sure to text the man that they missed him, amongst other dirty things.

So it was no surprise that an hour later, the dinner was left forgotten on the table, the chairs were half pushed in around the table, and dropped on the floor was Junmyeon’s white robe, along with a pair of jeans, a hoodie, and two t-shirts making a trail upstairs and down the hallway. The rest of the clothes had finally been shed off before the two made it to the bed. Junmyeon was already fully naked since the robe was the only thing he wore after his shower, he lied back on the bed, watching Kris and Chanyeol as they striped themselves of the remaining clothing.

He grabbed the lube from the bedside drawer and tossed it by the pillow. Kris crawled up to him first, already grabbing Junmyeon up and covering his lips with his own, tongue lapping at his lips, and dipping into that wet cavern, drinking in Junmyeon’s taste. A kiss came to the base of Kris’s neck from Chanyeol before he moved around to settle into Junmyeon’s backside. Kisses raining down on his shoulders, on his neck, across his back before Chanyeol reached for the lube.

The winner of the rock, paper, scissors game tonight was Kris, so Chanyeol decided to do the liberties and open up Junmyeon for the wolf.

Kris pulled back from Junmyeon’s lips, meeting Chanyeol’s gaze over his shoulder, and a smirk crossed Kris’s lips, his gaze returned to the heated one of Junmyeon’s, chest rising and falling with the need for air. His hand trailed down Junmyeon’s neck, coming down to brush against the tip of one of his nipples, earning a shiver from the man, before those fingers traced over the lines of Junmyeon’s toned stomach.

As much as he wanted to lean down and trace his tongue over them, there was something else standing at attention. Junmyeon couldn’t stop the cry when those lips wrapped around the tip of himself, and just as they did, he felt a wet digit push passed his rim. One finger quickly became two, and the big warm hand that wrapped around the rest of his length had Junmyeon shuddering. He was conflicted between thrusting forward to Kris and grinding down on Chanyeol’s fingers.

When Chanyeol had three fingers pushing into him and brushing against that spot, Junmyeon could only whimper as he felt sparks shoot through him. His cock throbbing and his balls drawing up, if Kris didn’t pull off or Chanyeol didn’t let up on that bundle of nerves, he was going to be spent in no time.

Chanyeol chuckled softly as he mouthed at Junmyeon’s neck, thrusting his fingers deep again, stretching him a little more and adding the fourth. It always took four to prepare him for Chanyeol and Kris’s knots. They were already bigger than the average man, and then the knot stole Junmyeon’s breath every time.

“I think he needs mercy, Kris,” Chanyeol mumbled, licking up Junmyeon’s neck to nibble the bottom of Junmyeon’s ear.

Kris pulled back, the head of Junmyeon’s cock falling from his lips, glistening with spit and pre-come leaking out. The whine that started to leave Junmyeon’s lips at the loss of the warmth around him was swallowed up when Kris reclaimed those lips. Chanyeol’s four fingers thrust up into him one last time, moans still swallowed up before it trailed off into a pathetic whine when Chanyeol withdrew his fingers.

“He’s ready,” Chanyeol murmured, pulling Junmyeon from Kris’s lips, and turning the man around, onto his knees so Kris could enter from behind.

Seeing the way that Junmyeon’s face was flushed red, lips reddened and slick from the kisses that Kris gave him, Chanyeol couldn’t help but grab the man’s hair and pull him to him. Just as Kris moved closer and finally angled himself to sink into that hot and tight heat, Junmyeon’s moan was eaten up by Chanyeol. Bringing their fronts flush against one another, Kris finally bottomed out, hips connecting to Junmyeon’s backside before he pulled back and thrust back in.

Unlike Chanyeol, Kris’s thrusts were always slower, deeper, and had Junmyeon’s toes curling when he finally set up a pace.

And when Kris finally found that pace, he kept hitting that spot in Junmyeon that made stars dance behind eyelids. His mouth was barely keeping up with Chanyeol, weakly kissing back and surrendering to Chanyeol’s tongue.

Chanyeol pulled back to give Junmyeon a dopey smile, one that Junmyeon thinks he returned, it was hard to tell with the way his brain felt like mush, “You always get pliant like this, Myeonie.”

“Pl-pliant, maybe, but still tight as hell,” Kris mumbled out, hands gripping Junmyeon’s hips, feeling his knot start to swell as it pushed against Junmyeon’s rim with his thrusts. “ _Fuck_ … side… I’m going to put us on our sides.”

Once he moved them to their side on the bed, Kris grabbed Junmyeon’s thigh to lift up, and angled himself to thrust up into him, his knot growing more and finally starting to catch on Junmyeon’s rim. Chanyeol moved closer to Junmyeon’s front, squirting some lube on his hand and grabbed both of their cocks, bringing them together and started jacking both of them off.

“Y-You two…” Junmyeon panted, hand gripping Chanyeol’s shoulder as he wanted to thrust into that hand and push back against Kris, “are gonna kill me.” Just as Kris’s knot locked them together, tip touching his prostate, and Chanyeol thumbed at the slit of his cock, Junmyeon couldn’t stop the shuddering cry that left his lips as he painted his and Chanyeol’s chests white.

Chanyeol followed shortly after, knot swelled up against Junmyeon’s cock, making the touch of his cock hotter. Kris had stilled for a moment, grinding up into Junmyeon’s prostate as he emptied himself. Warmth flooding Junmyeon’s insides.

The sound of harsh breathing and soft kisses being peppered against Junmyeon’s heated skin was all that filled the air for several moments.

“You two will be the death of me,” Junmyeon panted softly, weakly pulling Chanyeol closer despite the mess on both their chest, the dog hybrid’s knot still causing come to leak onto the bed. He wanted to do nothing but cuddle now.

Chanyeol kissed the tip of his nose, “We can always switch it up, you know, Myeonie.” He chuckled, “I did like riding you that one time.”

Junmyeon’s face couldn’t get any redder at that moment, his murmur of ‘ _but I like your knot_ ’ getting lost with the sputter from Kris, “When was this?” The wolf hybrid looked over Junmyeon’s shoulder at the two.

Chanyeol laughed, “Unfortunately, Kris, it was before you came along. But I wouldn’t mind reenacting it,” he winked at the wolf, then turned his attention back to the closed eyes of Junmyeon’s now, but the man’s cheeks were still flushed red. “Or if you like my knot so much, you can always sit on it while Kris rides you. Or vice versa.”

Junmyeon’s eyes snapped open at that, Chanyeol could see the man imaging it as those eyes darkened.

“We’ve got two more nights…” Chanyeol chimed in, kissing the tip of Junmyeon’s nose again. “Sleep on it tonight, I want a chance at that ass before we get up in the morning.”

Kris kissed the back of Junmyeon’s neck, the hand on his waist reaching over to intertwine with Chanyeol’s, both them coming to rest on Junmyeon’s hip. Junmyeon shook his head, “I’m not going to be able to walk tomorrow.” He opened his eyes to see Chanyeol wink at him again, knowing fully how the dog hybrid was, “I love you two, but let me sleep first.”

The two murmured it back to him, Chanyeol’s lips found Junmyeon’s again while Kris kissed Junmyeon’s neck again. Chanyeol reached for the blankets and pulled up on the three of them as they snuggled up to Junmyeon. But before Chanyeol could fall off to sleep, he moved to lean over Junmyeon, capturing Kris’s lips in a soft kiss.

“I love you both.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to all the readers and commenters that have stuck with me through this journey with continued support! I'll be back soon with more Krisho and maybe a little splash of Chanyeol to the couple too. ;)


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